Validity of gait asymmetry estimation by using an accelerometer in individuals with hemiparetic stroke.
Kazuaki Oyake, Tomofumi Yamaguchi, Masafumi Sugasawa and 5 others
PMID 28265163WHAT IT FOUND
A trunk accelerometer tracked step time asymmetry after hemiparetic stroke in close agreement with force plates but gave higher step time asymmetry values.
Step length asymmetry was less precise. It may be useful for gait screening, not exact measurement.
Key findings
01The accelerometer's step time asymmetry estimates were significantly correlated with force plate estimates.
02The accelerometer's step time asymmetry estimates were significantly higher than force plate estimates.
03The accelerometer's step length asymmetry estimates were significantly correlated with force plate estimates, but the median estimation error was 14.1%.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 24 participants were tested. All participants had to walk 16 m without a cane or manual assistance, so the results do not apply to people who need walking devices. The accelerometer systematically overestimated step time asymmetry compared with force plates. Estimation errors were wide, especially for step length asymmetry (median 14.1%, interquartile range 5.9-24.1%). The authors noted that future studies are needed to determine whether walking devices affect the estimates.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude the accelerometer can replace force plates for exact gait asymmetry measurement. It overestimated step time asymmetry, and step length asymmetry had a median estimation error of 14.1%.