An index for quantifying deviations from normal gait

A method is derived to calculate the amount by which a subjects gait deviat es from an average normal profile. and to represent this deviation as a sin gle number. The method uses principal component analysis to derive a set of 16 independent variables from 16 selected gait variables. The sum of the s quare of these 16 independent variables is interpreted as the deviation of the subject's gait from normal. Statistical tests of the method's validity and an initial demonstration of its clinical utility are included. It is fo und that using this index, increasing clinical involvement corresponds to i ncreasing index score. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All righ ts reserved.