Reliability of walking capacity measures assessed with two different walking tests in former polio patients

Discussion and conclusions: In the present study lower limb joint kinematics were simultaneously analysed by two protocols based on different marker set, subject calibration procedures, biomechanical models and kinematic conventions. Both protocol showed a good repeatability of the results within and among subjects. However, the differences between the protocols reflected on the kinematics outputs especially for rotations other than sagittal. The different assumptions on which the two protocols are based on should explain such findings. If data are to be shared and compared across laboratories importance should be given to a detail definition of the conventions adopted in order to understand and, properly interpret the derived outcomes from a gait analysis protocol if the same model cannot be used.