Gait variability: a theoretical framework for gait analysis and biomechanics

Human walking is a variable and necessarily adaptable behavior. So too are the kinematic characteristics of human gait, which naturally vary from one stride to the next. Gait variability can be quantified in terms of its amount and complexity, two distinct yet complementary facets of human gait that are associated with the health status of the performer, their stage of learning, the demands of a particular walking task, and the environmental conditions in which walking occurs. Measures of gait variability derived from theoretical assumptions about motor control provide rehabilitation professionals with a new generation of gait assessment tools and intervention approaches for clinical populations with walking limitations.