Gait asymmetry assessment using muscle activity signal: a review of current methods

Abstract

Gait asymmetry is a type of gait characteristics when there is difference in gait parameters statistically, measured bilaterally between left and right limbs. Gait asymmetry assessment is used to observe changes or deviation in gait due to pathological condition, effect of rehabilitation program or to give insight on effect of gait on stability and fall-risk. The assessments of gait asymmetry could be measured by using spatiotemporal, kinetics, kinematics parameters or by analysis of muscle activity signals obtained from surface electromyography (EMG). However, EMG-based assessment for gait asymmetry is not well explored compared to assessment using other gait parameters. This review aims to compare research designs, methods and procedure of previous studies that utilized EMG for gait asymmetry analysis. Therefore, any research in the future that involved gait asymmetry measurement could take note on and produce more reliable findings.