Gait of normal Hong Kong Chinese children: The bootstrap approach

Abstract

This paper describes a study on the gait of normal Hong Kong Chinese children using a representative sample to create a normal paediatric gait database. The database will serve as a local reference norm for the comparisons of pathological gait patterns. The 11 males and nine females aged from seven to 12 years were recruited through stratified random sampling. Free walking gait cycles were collected using the ELITE Motion Analysis System. Bootstrap analysis was used to generate the prediction regions of kinematic curves in sagittal, coronal, and transverse planes for two age groups; seven to nine years and 10 to 12 years. The study demonstrates unique characteristics of the gait pattern of Hong Kong Chinese children. The key differences are in the pattern of hip rotation and the magnitude of pelvic rotation, that may be linked to differences in the static rotational profile of Chinese children. The higher cadence, shorter stance, and stride time for a given age in Hong Kong Chinese children is possibly explained by lower leg-to-height ratios. The study suggests that leg length, height, and age may be associated with cadence, stance time, and stride time only through the leg-to-height ratio. The marked similarities in the Hong Kong and US findings support the use of this normal paediatric gait database using the bootstrap approach as a reliable means for assessing pathological gait in children.