Gait is a major sign of independence, quality of life and participation1 and is frequently impaired by a variety of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions or diseases (for example, stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis or osteoarthritis)2. To improve the locomotion system, exercises are mainly carried out on dry land although now numerous activities have been proposed in the water environment. Specifically, forward walking (FW) may be one of the most common motor tasks in both environments because it can be practiced by any age-group and with most medical conditions3,4. The purpose of this study was to compare the spatial and temporal characteristics in FW walking on land and in water using 3D kinematics.
© Copyright 2014 XIIth International Symposium for Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming. Published by Australian Institute of Sport. All rights reserved.