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INTRODUCTION

Multiple Sclerosis is one of the most common neurological disorders among adult Americans, yet it is also a source of constant mystery for those who research it. The symptoms associated with MS vary greatly from person to person, from mild impairment to severe loss of daily functioning skills. However, all symptoms result from the improper sending of signals from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles due to a degeneration in the protective myelin coating which surrounds the body's neurons.

Two common walking symptoms of those suffering from MS are the "foot drop" gait and the "spastic gait." The purpose of our investigation is to explore the differences between the walking pattern of a person suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and that of a person with a normal gait in order to determine how certain neurological gait abnormalities may lead to other muscular or orthopedic impairments. Since the leg consists of a complete chain of segments and joints acting together during walking, we believe that studying one particular neurological abnormality could lead to a better understanding of other resulting impairments.

Each member in our group works as a student athletic trainer for the University of Michigan. Though we do not encounter athletes with MS, we do work with athletes in the post-operative rehabilitative state. One challenge that athletic trainers face is getting a patient to overcome a lingering limp and in addition, dealing with impairments that result from a limp. We have an interest in studying normal and abnormal gait patterns both from an academic and work-related perspective.