98 children with DS (mean age: 11.7 years; range: 6–15 years) and 30 healthy children (control group (CG); mean age: 11 years; range: 5–13 years) underwent full 3D gait analysis at self-selected speed.
Subjects with DS walked with more hip flexion during the whole gait cycle, knee flexion in stance phase, a limitation of the knee range of motion, and plantarflexion of the ankle at initial contact. Ankle power was limited as evident in terminal stance and pre-swing, represented by a low propulsive capacity at push-off, too. Hip joint stiffness was increased in general in patients with DS versus normal subjects while ankle joint stiffness revealed a lower value instead.