Overview
ISO 29783-3:2016 - Prosthetics and orthotics - Vocabulary - Part 3: Pathological gait (excluding prosthetic gait) specifies a standardized method to describe abnormal gait patterns resulting from pathology. The standard defines how to report deviations from the normal gait pattern during each sub-phase of the gait cycle, with explicit reference to abnormal foot contact and abnormalities of joint motion. It is intended to improve consistency in clinical description, documentation and comparison of pathological gait across practitioners, clinics and countries.
Key topics and requirements
- Method of description: describe gait deviations for each sub-phase of the gait cycle:
- Initial contact, loading response, mid‑stance, terminal stance, pre‑swing, initial swing, mid‑swing, terminal swing.
- Abnormal foot contact: specify abnormal contact areas during stance (e.g., lateral side, medial side, forefoot, midfoot, hindfoot, total plantar surface, dorsum, or combinations).
- Abnormalities of joint motion-three categories:
- Abnormal angular motion: report joint angles at the end of each sub‑phase and note increased/decreased angles, motion in the opposite direction, or motion in abnormal planes. (Examples given: knee at initial contact normally 0°–5° flexion; mid‑stance coronal plane knee normally 4°–7° abduction.)
- Abnormal timing: indicate if joint motions are early or delayed relative to the normal pattern (e.g., early heel rise, delayed plantarflexion).
- Abnormal speed: indicate angular motion that is faster or slower than normal (e.g., uncontrolled fast plantarflexion = foot slap).
- Users shall decide what magnitude of deviation is clinically significant and therefore must be specified.
- Normative reference: ISO 29783-1 (Normal gait) provides the baseline normal gait pattern.
Applications and users
ISO 29783-3 is useful for:
- Clinicians and rehabilitation teams (physiotherapists, orthotists, prosthetists, physicians) for standardized gait assessment and clinical records.
- Gait analysis labs and researchers for consistent terminology in studies and outcome reporting.
- Device designers and manufacturers to align product requirements with documented gait deviations.
- Multidisciplinary teams to improve communication, treatment planning, and comparison of interventions across centers.
Practical applications include clinical documentation, outcome measurement, treatment planning, research reporting, and training/education in gait assessment.
Related standards
- ISO 29783-1 - Prosthetics and orthotics - Vocabulary - Part 1: Normal gait (normative baseline).
- ISO 29783-2 - Part 2: Prosthetic gait (complementary guidance covering prosthetic users).