## 3 Results
### CatWalk XT(r) Automated Gait Analysis
#### 3.1.5 Print Parameters
Similarly, the print intensity parameters max intensity, mean intensity and max contact mean intensity of the hindlimbs showed early recovery after SCI compared to the respective N2 timepoints and reached a significant level after three weeks (N3; N2 vs. N3; \(p\) < 0.05; Table 1; Figure 3B,D,F,H). Only max contact max intensity of the hindlimbs took one week longer to significantly recover (N2 vs. N4; \(p\) = 0.0149). All print intensity parameters then further increased stepwise until the highest recovery was reached five weeks after SCI (N5; N2 vs. N5; \(p\) < 0.0001; Table 1). The print scale parameters print length, print width, print area, and max contact area of the CatWalk XT\({}^{\text{@}}\) gait analysis all measure the print of the complete paw. Compared to  
Figure 3: Max intensity of the forelimbs (**A**) and the hindlimbs (**B**), mean intensity of the forelimbs (**C**) and the hindlimbs (**D**), max contact max intensity of the forelimbs (**E**) and the hindlimbs (**F**) and max contact mean intensity of the forelimbs (**G**) and the hindlimbs (**H**) for animals in the SCI and the Sham group from baseline (BL) until the end of the experiment (N6). In the SCI group, a similar pattern of a significant deterioration from the BL values after the injury followed by a spontaneous recovery, eventually reaching a significant level compared to the first postinjury value (N2), could be observed for all CatWalk XT\({}^{\text{@}}\) print intensity parameters (\({}^{*}\)\(p\) < 0.05; \({}^{**}\)\(p\) < 0.01; \({}^{***}\)\(p\) < 0.0001; \({}^{***}\)\(p\) < 0.0001). the print intensity parameters that reflect the stepping pressure, these static measurements represent the force during locomotion [22]. Moreover, an increased print area also suggests improved fine digit motor function and trunk stability [20; 21]. In the SCI group, the prints of all paws significantly decreased in length, width, area as well as max contact area to a very low level, compared to the respective baseline measurements, two weeks after the injury (N2; Table 1 and 2; Figure 4A-H; all \(p<0.0001\)). Early significant spontaneous recovery was observed in the print length of the forelimbs (N2 vs. N3; \(p=0.0216\)) and the print width of the hindlimbs (N2 vs. N3; \(p=0.0141\)), while the print length of the hindlimbs (N2 vs. N5; \(p<0.0001\)), the print width of the forelimbs (N2 vs. N5, \(p=0.001\)), and the print area of the hindlimbs (N2 vs. N5, \(p=0.0185\)) reached a significant level of recovery only five weeks after the injury (N5; Tables 1 and 2; Figure 4A-D,F). On the contrary, there was no significant improvement of the print area of the forelimbs as well as the max contact area of all limbs compared to the first postinjury measurement over the course of the experiment (Tables 1 and 2; Figure 4E,G,H). Figure 4: Print length of the forelimbs (**A**) and the hindlimbs (**B**), print width of the forelimbs (**C**) and the hindlimbs (**D**), print area of the forelimbs (**E**) and the hindlimbs (**F**) and max contact print area of the forelimbs (**G**) and the hindlimbs (**H**) for animals in the SCI and the Sham group from baseline (BL) until the end of the experiment (N6). In the SCI group, a similar pattern of a significant deterioration from the BL values after the injury could be observed in all presented CatWalk XT® print parameters. However, consistent significant spontaneous recovery compared to the first postinjury value (N2) was only demonstrable for the print length and the print width parameters. (\({}^{*}p<0.05\); \({}^{**}p<0.01\); \({}^{***}p<0.001\); \({}^{***}p<0.0001\)).