Acknowledgement
Our thanks to Dr W Farid Abdo1for his help in reviewing this article.
Gait is the manner or pattern of walking. The way we hold our body when we walk is normally upright, with the body neither leaning forwards nor backwards, with an even stride and arms swinging at the sides. When an upright position and centre of gravity is held balance should not be compromised. Normal gait is the result of equilibrium between locomotion, balance and the ability to adapt to the environment.
In evolutionary terms, it took us four million years to develop our unique human foot. Due to this remarkable feat of bio-engineering, our distinctive form of gait is unlike that of any other species. In the words of paleoanthropologist Donald C. Johanson, “Bipedalism [walking upright on two feet] is what made us human."
