Markerless Sagittal Gait Analysis of Cerebral Palsy in Children Using Pose Estimation Techniques

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder affecting children’s motor function and posture. Early detection and monitoring of Cerebral palsy is crucial for effective intervention and improved quality of life. Gait analysis is a critical tool for assessing motor function in children with cerebral palsy, often requiring controlled environments and markers for accuracy. Markerless gait analysis has emerged as a promising tool for objectively evaluating gait abnormalities in children with CP. In this study, we propose a markerless methodology utilising pose estimation to analyse gait patterns from sagittal video recordings captured in unconstrained environments. The dataset consists of 49 children, including 10 typically developing children and 39 with cerebral palsy, focusing on side-view videos for the analysis. Given the motor disabilities of these children, conducting gait analysis in a constrained environment can alter their natural walking patterns, making our approach particularly advantageous. Then we identify the key gait events, heel strike and toe-off, to distinguish gait between cycles by tracing knee joint movements. This technique demonstrates the potential for practical, non-invasive gait assessment in natural settings, offering insights into the distinct gait characteristics of children with cerebral palsy compared to their typically developing peers.