Gait Cycle

The repeating pattern of leg movement during walking, defined from one foot contact with the ground to the next contact of the same foot. The cycle is divided into two main phases: the stance phase (foot on ground, bearing weight), which includes heel strike, midstance, and heel-off; and the swing phase (foot off ground, leg moving forward). Midstance is the point of peak single-limb loading and is the critical moment at which knee stability is most needed. Gait-cycle phase detection underpins the design of orthoses, prostheses, and exoskeletons that adapt assistance to the walker’s current state.