Interindividual variations of the hip joint motion in normal gait

The purpose of this study was to quantify in a sample of healthy subjects the interindividual variations of the hip joint motion in normal gait. This sample included 55 subjects (25 men and 30 women; aged 20-70 years) considered as free of locomotion disorders. Measures were made with the optoelectronic system VICON(TM) using five cameras. The amplitude values varied between 20 degrees and 42 degrees (mean: 30.66 degrees) for flexion-extension, 2 degrees and 20 degrees (mean: 6.53 degrees) for abduction-adduction and 3 degrees and 40 degrees (mean: 13.45 degrees) for rotation. The parameters dispersion was consistent with a normal distribution within the sample for flexion - extension, The ranges of hip rotation and abduction - adduction seem to follow a distribution pattern centered around the lower values. These interindividual variations of the hip motion in normal gait correspond with very different functional modes of the hip joint for each individual and could therefore participate in the pathophysiology of various locomotor disorders.