Asymmetry, Limb Dominance and Foot Orientation during Walking Gait

Although healthy gait is often considered to be characterized by symmetric movement patterns, asymmetries in the early acquisition of gait have been thought to reflect differing balancing vs. propulsive roles for the limbs [1]. In adults, asymmetries have been linked to limb dominance [2,3]. Seeley et al. [3] tested for effects of limb dominance on support and propulsive roles, and found only moderate effects at higher speeds, however they did not examine medial and lateral force components or impulses. The goal of our study was to (i) test for the presence of asymmetries in foot orientation, temporal components, and force components; (ii) evaluate the hypothesis that foot posture can be used to discriminate functional roles for the limbs and (iii) determine whether the dominant limb plays more of a balancing or propulsive role during walking gait.