Limb coordinations during locomotion in cats and dogs

Abstract

The relations among swing, stance and step durations for the fore and hind limbs were investigated. Registration of the swing and stance phases was performed by the opening and closing of an electrical circuit as the cat moved along the conductive pathway. In the walking animal, longer swing and shorter stance durations for hind limbs, in comparison with the fore limbs, were observed. However, during trotting phases, these differences were insignificant. The correlations between swing and stance durations were found for both fore and hind limbs. As the walking animal moved faster, swing and stance durations became shorter.