The way that we all walk is incredibly unique and almost no one does it exactly the same way. There are so many different major as well as subtle minor variants. These variations can assist to identify individuals on CCTV video clips as a part of forensic investigations as well as being useful in gait studies to investigate clinical issues. There are now industry experts in the evaluation of gait for the forensic recognition. As well as that there are now some very sophisticated equipment and methods for the clinical gait analysis. Both the forensic and clinical gait analyses give attention to precisely what causes us to be unique in the manner which we walk and to quantify those varieties.
One of those variations is what is termed an abductory twist. This is frequently seen in clinical gait analyses because it can have consequences for dealing with biomechanical issues. When we walk, as the rearfoot lifts of the ground, the hindfoot normally comes up vertically. However, in a some people just as the heel comes of the ground there may be an abrupt movement of the heel medially or towards the opposite foot. Often it is only noticeable to those who are experienced in looking for it or on a video clip when the video clip is slowed down. There are several probable causes of this. One is overpronation of the foot, which is a rolling of the ankle inwards and a collapse of the arch of the foot. A different probable reason is a functional hallux limitus which is a problem with the big toe joint not functioning properly. There is certainly some disagreement if this is actually a clinical issue or not. This happens because many think about this as a sign of the problem instead of an actual condition. They believe that treatment needs to be aimed at the reason why rather than the abductory twist. The existence or lack of an abductory twist would also be part of the forensic analysis.