Evaluation of Harmonicity in Running Gait by the Use of Innovative Techniques of Video Analysis

Overview

This study aims to demonstrate the use of a digital video analysis method to evaluate harmonicity of running gait, through an holistic approach. Furthermore, it explores the association of running gait harmonicity with running velocity and level of training and with running injuries risk .

Aetiology of running related injuries is reported to be multifactorial but still not fully understood. Factors that impede the understanding of the mechanisms and aetiology of injury are the traditional segmental approach to the analysis of running gait and the lack of prospective studies. A more holistic approach to analysis of movement could permit a more in depth comprehension of the injured state, trough a changing of point of view. This holistic approach is based on the harmonic nature of running gait. Despite the everyday use of the term "harmonicity" within sporting domains, methods to measure running gait harmonicity is a theme still vaguely explored. Traditional methods evaluate the movement quality of the whole body based on the motion analysis of specific segments, that are supposed to sufficiently represent the entire body. The search for a method to analyse harmonicity of cyclic movements with a real holistic approach, is therefore still open. With these aims, an innovative video analysis method has been proposed, based on the measure of the frequency variation of the pixel brightness in the digital video of a cyclic movement.

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