Abstract:

In the past decade, research on gait analysis in healthy individuals has advanced rapidly, emerging as a focal point in the fields of sports medicine and forensic science. This research area is of great significance for disease diagnosis and treatment, and it also plays a vital role in suspect identification and pursuit during criminal investigations.

Although previous gait research has been extensive, it has often been fragmented and lacked strong interconnections, making it challenging to establish a unified theoretical framework. Therefore, there is an urgent need to summarize and integrate these research findings to form a more coherent body of knowledge.

This paper offers a comprehensive review of the current status of gait analysis research both at home and abroad. It introduces the commonly used gait parameters in the field, such as stride characteristics, cadence, gait speed, gait cycle, and gait phases. These parameters are crucial for understanding the mechanics of human movement and serve as fundamental indicators in gait studies.

Moreover, the paper clarifies the basic gait patterns during locomotion in healthy individuals and summarizes the factors influencing gait parameter variations from multiple perspectives. Specifically, this study classifies the factors affecting gait into five main categories: age, gender, health status, behavioral activities, and external conditions. Furthermore, health status is divided into three specific factors: obesity level, fatigue level, and frailty. Behavioral activities are categorized as walking posture, walking duration, and walking speed, while external conditions include factors like load-bearing and treadmill exercise. These aspects are systematically analyzed to summarize their respective impacts on gait parameter variations in healthy individuals.

From the above - mentioned five domains (age, gender, health status, behavioral activities, and external conditions), this study thoroughly explores their individual and combined influences on gait characteristics, providing a detailed understanding of how these variables interact to shape gait dynamics. By isolating and analyzing the effects of these factors, this research highlights patterns and variations that can serve as benchmarks for healthy gait and potentially assist in identifying abnormal gait characteristics.

In addition, the paper proposes directions for experimental improvements, stressing the need for more rigorous methodologies. Finally, this study identifies the limitations in existing research, such as the fragmented nature of findings and the lack of standardized frameworks. Based on these observations, the paper discusses the future development of gait analysis research, envisioning progress through the integration of emerging technologies and interdisciplinary approaches.

Key words: normal people, walking gait, pattern