Walking Foot Insoles for Dynamic Postural Analysis of Patients with Gait Imbalance: A Preliminary Report (original) (raw)
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2021
The continuous, accurate and reliable estimation of gait parameters as a measure of mobility is essential to assess the loss of functional capacity related to the progression of disease. Connected insoles are suitable wearable devices which allow precise, continuous, remote and passive gait assessment. The data of 25 healthy volunteers aged 20 to 77 years were analysed in the study to validate gait parameters (stride length, velocity, stance, swing, step and single support durations and cadence) measured by FeetMe® insoles against the GAITRite® mat reference. The mean values and the values of variability were calculated per subject for GAITRite® and insoles. A t-test and Levene’s test were used to compare the gait parameters for means and variances, respectively, obtained for both devices. Additionally, measures of bias, standard deviation of differences, Pearson’s correlation and intraclass correlation were analysed to explore overall agreement between the two devices. No significa...
Validation and reliability testing of a new, fully integrated gait analysis insole
Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 2015
Background: A new tool (OpenGo, Moticon GmbH) was introduced to continuously measure kinetic and temporospatial gait parameters independently through an insole over up to 4 weeks. The goal of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of this new insole system in a group of healthy individuals. Methods: Gait data were collected from 12 healthy individuals on a treadmill at two different speeds. In total, six trials of three minutes each were performed by every participant. Validation was performed with the FDM-S System (Zebris). Complete sensor data were used for a within test reliability analysis of over 10000 steps. Intraclass correlation was calculated for different gait parameters and analysis of variance performed. Results: Intraclass correlation for the validation was >0.796 for temporospatial and kinetic gait parameters. No statistical difference was seen between the insole and force plate measurements (difference between means: 36.3 ± 27.19 N; p = 0.19 and 0.027 ± 0.028 s; p = 0.36). Intraclass correlation for the reliability was >0.994 for all parameters measured. Conclusion: The system is feasible for clinical trials that require step by step as well as grouped analysis of gait over a long period of time. Comparable validity and reliability to a stationary analysis tool has been shown.
Shoes and Insoles: The Influence on Motor Tasks Related to Walking Gait Variability and Stability
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The rhythmic control of the lower limb muscles influences the cycle-to-cycle variability during a walking task. The benefits of insoles, commonly used to improve the walking gait, have been little studied. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the walking gait variability and stability on different walking conditions (without shoes, WTS, with shoes, WS, with shoes and insoles, WSI) related to brain activity. Twelve participants randomly (WTS/WS/WSI) walked on a treadmill at 4 km/h for 10 min. Kinematic analysis (i.e., footstep and gait variability), brain activation (beta wave signal), rating of perceived exertion (RPE, CR-10 scale), and time domain measures of walking variability were assessed. The maximum Lyapunov exponent (LyE) on the stride cycle period’s datasets was also calculated. Stride length and cycle calculated for all walking conditions were 61.59 ± 2.53/63.38 ± 1.43/64.09 ± 2.40 cm and 1.11 ± 0.03/1.14 ± 0.03/1.15 ± 0.04 s (F1,10 = 4.941/p = 0.01, F1,10 = 4.93...
Accuracy and Repeatability of the Gait Analysis by the WalkinSense System
BioMed Research International, 2014
WalkinSense is a new device designed to monitor walking. The aim of this study was to measure the accuracy and repeatability of the gait analysis performed by the WalkinSense system. Descriptions of values recorded by WalkinSense depicting typical gait in adults are also presented. A bench experiment using the Trublu calibration device was conducted to statically test the WalkinSense. Following this, a dynamic test was carried out overlapping the WalkinSense and the Pedar insoles in 40 healthy participants during walking. Pressure peak, pressure peak time, pressure-time integral, and mean pressure at eight-foot regions were calculated. In the bench experiments, the repeatability (i) among the WalkinSense sensors (within), (ii) between two WalkinSense devices, and (iii) between the WalkinSense and the Trublu devices was excellent. In the dynamic tests, the repeatability of the WalkinSense (i) between stances in the same trial (within-trial) and (ii) between trials was also excellent (ICC > 0.90). When the eight-foot regions were analyzed separately, the within-trial and between-trials repeatability was good-to-excellent in 88% (ICC > 0.80) of the data and fair in 11%. In short, the data suggest that the WalkinSense has good-to-excellent levels of accuracy and repeatability for plantar pressure variables.
Foot worn inertial sensors for gait assessment and rehabilitation based on motorized shoes
Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS, 2011
Fall prevention in elderly subjects is often based on training and rehabilitation programs that include mostly traditional balance and strength exercises. By applying such conventional interventions to improve gait performance and decrease fall risk, some important factors are neglected such as the dynamics of the gait and the motor learning processes. The EU project "Self Mobility Improvement in the eLderly by counteractING falls" (SMILING project) aimed to improve age-related gait and balance performance by using unpredicted external perturbations during walking through motorized shoes that change insole inclination at each stance. This paper describes the shoe-worn inertial module and the gait analysis method needed to control in real-time the shoe insole inclination during training, as well as gait spatio-temporal parameters obtained during long distance walking before and after the 8-week training program that assessed the efficacy of training with these motorized shoes.
13.23 The efficacy of a footwear insole designed toimprove balance
Gait & Posture, 2005
Chapter 13. Biomechanics and orthopaedic disorders elicited using a trap door which was released on the treadmill at a preprogrammed delay. Results: Whole body reactions were observed after the inversion. First, a lateral shift of the knee occured, thereby decreasing the ankle inversion angle. Secondly, responses were observed comparable to balance correcting responses after a perturbation in the roll plane during standing. The EMG responses in the peroneal muscle were detected during weight acceptance of the ipsilateral leg. Conclusion: It is concluded that reactions following an ankle inversion during gait are well-suited to avoide excessive stretch of the lateral ligaments and muscles of the lower leg and maintaining balance.
Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 2018
Background:There is a lack of data that could address the effects of off-the-shelf insoles on gait variables in healthy people.Methods:Thirty-three healthy volunteers ranging in age from 18 to 35 years were included to this study. Kinematic and kinetic data were obtained in barefoot, shoe-only, steel insole, silicone insole, and polyurethane insole conditions using an optoelectronic three-dimensional motion analysis system. A repeated measures analysis of variance test was used to identify statistically significant differences between insole conditions. The alpha level was set at P < .05Results:Maximum knee flexion was higher in the steel insole condition (P < .0001) compared with the silicone insole (P = .001) and shoe-only conditions (P = .032). Reduced maximum knee flexion was recorded in the polyurethane insole condition compared with the shoe-only condition (P = .031). Maximum knee flexion measured in the steel insole condition was higher compared to the barefoot conditio...
Assessment of walking quality by using Inertial Measurement Units
A device for the gait analysis during a long-distance walking is important for the correct assessment of patients during the rehabilitation. This device should be able to measure all gait parameters in a single unit. In addition, it is required that the measurement system is not spatially constrained. In our group, we have been developing a new wireless system, namely WB-4R, composed of Inertial Measurement Units, to be used in rehabilitation centers for gait analysis that is cheap, small, and relatively maintenancefree. This paper presents the results of a pilot study conducted with healthy subjects. The system was able to detect the gait phase and provide frequency analysis of the angular velocity and acceleration of the lower limbs.