Lower extremity joint moment patterns demonstrate sex-dependant and independent changes throughout puberty

Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the waveforms of lower-extremity joint moments of 186 healthy adolescents and young adults during over-ground walking gait. Post-puberty gait was characterized by greater hip extension moment in late stance, greater hip external rotation moment in early stance and overall greater knee flexion moment throughout stance. Secondary changes (PC2) were sex specific and may reveal a “delayed” maturation of gait in females.