Clinical validation of a system for the analysis of pediatric foot and ankle kinematics during gait

Kinematic foot and ankle data was acquired from 10 pediatric subjects using a six camera Vicon VX (Oxford Metrics, Oxford, U.K) based active marker system. The system was based on a three segment rigid body model that described the motion of the tibia, hindfoot and forefoot. Radiographic measurements were utilized to index the motion data with respect to the underlying bony anatomy. Data was collected from five normal pediatric subjects who had no prior orthopaedic surgery or indications or symptoms of pathology and from five subjects with an equinovarus deformity secondary to cerebral palsy. The data obtained form the normal controls showed motion of the three segments to be similar to that of mature adult foot and ankle motion. Data collected from subjects with the equinovarus deformity showed a pattern consistent with pathology observed by reviewing slow motion videos