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While much research has been devoted to the influence of gait speed in foot loading in adults, its effects on the foot loading characteristics in children in the stages of general growth and development have not yet been evaluated. Scientists Rosenbaum, Westhues and Boesch therefore embarked on a study to test twenty typically developing children between four and twelve years of age. The subjects were asked to walk across a novel emed^® platform at normal, slow and fast walking speeds, with five repeated trials for each walking speed. The data were stored and analysed in a novel data base programme.

The results of the study showed that in the fast walking speed conditions - in spite of shorter contact times - foot loading significantly increased in the hindfoot, medial and central forefoot and toes while it slightly decreased in the lateral midfoot and forefoot. The authors conclude that the results of this research “generally confirm the findings in adults that gait speed does not uniformly affect foot loading characteristics and that these effects should be kept in mind when comparing different subject groups or children at repeated measurement occasions.” (1058)

Rosenbaum, D., Westhues, M. and K. Bosch (2013)
Effect of gait speed changes on foot loading characteristics in children.
Gait & Posture 38 (4): 1058-60