Kinematic analysis of treadmill walking in normal and contused mice using the Treadscan system.

Activity-based rehabilitation is important for clinically treating spinal cord injury (SCI). Advances in SCI research are dependent on quality animal models, which rely on our ability to detect functional differences in animals following injury. The purpose of this study is to analyze the gait of normal and contusion-injured mice using the TreadScan® system. TreadScan® utilizes a transparent treadmill belt and a high-speed camera to capture the footprints of animals and automatically analyze gait characteristics. Adult female C57B1/6 mice were gentled and introduced to the treadmill. Animals received either a standardized mild or moderate contusion injury or a sham injury. TreadScan® gait analyses were performed weekly for ten weeks and compared with scores on the Basso Mouse Scale (BMS). Animals were perfused, and the spinal cords assessed histologically. Results indicate that the TreadScan® system will allow for a more objective, rapid behavioral assessment of locomotor function following SCI than previous measures