Background: Spatio-temporal gait analysis includes identification of distance (Spatio) and time (temporal) related events during entire gait cycle for characterizing the gait.

Research question: Although quantitative norms have been developed for various spatial and temporal characteristics of gait but less information is available of childhood, especially during early school years. There is a lack of adequate description of biomechanics in typically developing healthy children. Subsequently, the study was focused on both the genders of human population with ages ranging from 5-8 years, because this is the transition period in relation to the development of steady gait.

Methods: The approach consisted of designing an experimental set up to gather kinematic data of running of school children at optimum gait speeds. A total of numbers of four hundred and two (402) school children were randomly selected for the study. The Spatio-temporal gait parameters were recorded during a complete gait cycle and were analyzed using “Silicon Coach Pro-7”motion analysis software. The statistical analysis was done using SPSSv17.0.

Results: The outcome showed significant difference in Step Length (t = 2.92; p<0.004), Cadence (t = 11.15; p<0.000); Subject Velocity (t = 10.32; p<0.000); Gait Cycle Duration (t = 9.25; p<0.000); Stance Phase Duration (t = 13.43; p<0.000); while as no such significant difference was observed in case of Stride length and Swing Phase Duration.

Significance: The results depicted a statistically significant difference in most of the selected biomechanical parameters between different age groups of both the genders. This indicates that during this period (5-8 years) a child is in a maturing stage of his gait, and it can be concluded that all the interventions regarding the abnormality of gait and in-efficient running if any can be completely rectified during this period, before the mature gait sets in.