Footprint study

What is a gait study?

The tread study or dynamic gait study consists of a series of exploratory strategies aimed at diagnosing the different alterations of the locomotor apparatus.

What does it consist of?

First of all, the podiatrist explores the state of the patient’s muscles and joints to check his physical condition by means of a series of explorations:

  • Analysis on a stretcher: with the patient lying down, the podiatrist explores the muscular and joint condition of the patient-client.
  • Dynamic analysis: with the help of a treadmill, we visualize and record the patient’s stride, stride cadence, knee and hip alignment.
  • Plantar footprint analysis: with the patient-client on the optometric platform, we visualize the plantar footprint, pressure percentages and stabilometry.

Thanks to this information, the patient’s condition and movement in walking and running are assessed and any necessary corrections are considered to prevent future problems.

Why is it performed?

To know the articular and muscular condition of the patient and to avoid that an incorrect morphology can cause problems and pain.
There are sports, such as running, which can be very beneficial but can also have negative effects on the joints, especially in the knee, ankle, knee, hip and spine. The study of the footprint helps to know if a person walks correctly or not and, if the result is not favorable, to correct it with insoles or other treatments in order to prevent future pathologies.

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What does the test feel like?

At no time will the patient feel any kind of pain or unpleasant sensation.

Meaning of results

  • Neutral or physiological gait: corresponds to 60% of the population.
  • Pronator gait: it is present in about 40% of the population, and consists of bringing the ankle inwards by more than 6º.
  • Supinator gait: it is testimonial, affecting less than 1% of the population, and is associated with a stiff foot and without the possibility of pronating minimally, between 4 and 6 degrees.