Step Length: Function, Tasks, Role & Diseases

Stride length is a quantity used in gait analysis and sports. It is used for qualitative and quantitative measurement and assessment of walking and running.

What is stride length?

Stride length refers to the distance that occurs between the two feet during walking and running. Stride length refers to the distance that occurs between the two feet when walking and running. It is a measure of the degree of distance gained per step. There are various measurement methods for determining it. In gait analysis, the step lengths of both legs are basically observed in a side-by-side comparison. The distance between the toe of the rear foot and the heel of the front foot is used as a comparative measure. Averaged standard values exist, but they are only used for orientation, since individual differences depend on various factors and can be considerable. Today, video-based computer programs can greatly simplify the analysis, but they are not available to everyone. For athletes who only want to determine the distance in a certain time, a simpler method for determining stride length is available. First of all, they have to count the steps taken on a previously determined distance. Afterwards, you only have to divide the distance by the number of steps and the step length is determined. This is usually given in centimeters.

Function and task

In gait analysis, stride length is an observation parameter used to detect and assess gait deviations. Since differences from the approximate norm provide only imprecise findings, lateral comparison is the decisive criterion for detecting changes in gait pattern. In the second step, this finding must be traced back to its manifest or functional cause in order to plan and initiate appropriate therapy. For this purpose, the observation of the step length alone is not sufficient; other parameters must also be taken into account. It is important to establish the connection to the temporal sequence of the gait phases and, with the appropriate background knowledge, to find out why the gait pattern change occurs and which structures are responsible for it. Changes in stride length are always visible in the swing leg phase, although they often have their cause in the stance leg phase. Athletic gait analysis, which is usually performed by sports scientists and trainers using equipment, is used to optimize running technique and performance. Stride length is not absolutely dependent on body length, but rather on individual leverage. People with relatively long legs compared to their upper body length take long strides and vice versa. Adjusting stride length to these personal circumstances can be a proven way to improve the effectiveness of an athlete’s running. At a constant pace, stride frequency changes along with stride length. Recreational athletes who have determined their stride length can then use the reverse calculation method to determine their running distance. To do this, the steps must be counted during the sporting activity and multiplied by the stride length. Nowadays, this work is done by digital devices such as pedometers and activity trackers, which automatically determine the running distance after entering the calculated data. However, this type of calculation only works if approximately the same pace is run as during the test. A faster pace is always accompanied by an increase in stride length and a slower one correspondingly by a decrease.

Diseases and complaints

Pain or overuse in diseases and injuries to the legs can result in a shortening of the stride length, which is often also accompanied by a reduction in time. If this phenomenon occurs unilaterally, the gait rhythm changes. Muscle injuries cause pain that is increased when the muscles are used or stretched. If the muscles that stabilize the leg in the stance leg phase are affected, this is interrupted due to pain. The other leg is quickly and briefly placed forward, the stride length is more or less shortened depending on the intensity of the discomfort. This phenomenon also occurs with injuries to the ligaments in the knee and ankle joints, especially if they are stretched during the movement process.A shortening of the stride length is frequently observed in osteoarthritis. However, the change occurs in this disease before the conscious pain threshold is reached. The receptors responsible for signalling damage (nociceptors) send increased impulses to the spinal cord when a tissue is threatened with damage due to excessive stress and initiate the termination of movement before damage or pain can occur. This is the case with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee joints when parts of the bone that are no longer covered with articular cartilage are subjected to too much stress due to pressure during the stance phase. These gait changes develop slowly, unlike those caused by acute injury and pain. Shortening of the swing leg phase occurs when the muscles that perform the movements are damaged or have reduced strength, for example, due to paralysis of the foot lifters or hip flexors. A typical neurological disease that results in shortening of the stride on both sides is Parkinson’s disease. Centers in the central nervous system that play an important role in movement propulsion and control no longer function optimally in this disorder. This manifests itself in the gait pattern with small tripping steps. All diseases of the central nervous system that cause ataxic disorders can significantly affect the gait pattern. Such disorders (ataxia) are manifested by impaired coordination of movement or stability control, or both. When the legs are affected, the result is an unsteady gait pattern with short, wide-legged steps.