Validity and repeatability of inertial measurement units for measuring gait parameters.
Edward P Washabaugh, Tarun Kalyanaraman, Peter G Adamczyk and 2 others
PMID 28433867WHAT IT FOUND
Foot-mounted sensors accurately measured gait speed, stride length, and cadence in healthy adults, while ankle-mounted sensors were less accurate.
Foot placement also showed better agreement with standard measures than ankle placement, which had systematic errors.
Key findings
01Foot-mounted sensors showed excellent validity for speed, cycle time, stride length, and cadence during treadmill and split-belt walking.
02Ankle-mounted sensors were less accurate than foot-mounted sensors for most parameters, particularly stride length and stance/swing percentages.
03Both foot and ankle configurations demonstrated excellent repeatability over two testing days.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included only healthy young adults, so accuracy may differ in patients with gait disorders. Only APDM sensors and Mobility Lab v1 software were tested; results may not apply to other wearable systems. Stance and swing percent measurements had lower validity with foot sensors (0.50) compared to other metrics. The study did not evaluate other metrics like balance or turning, which the software can also collect.
Declared interests
The authors state that the study evaluated APDM sensors and software. No specific funding source or conflict of interest declaration is provided in the text, though the authors are from the University of Michigan.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume ankle-mounted sensors are equally accurate as foot-mounted ones for all parameters. The study found ankle sensors had systematic errors, particularly for stride length and stance/swing percent, which could mislead clinical decision-making if used as the sole source of data.