The reliability of plantar pressure measurements obtained using the traditional midgait method compared with the two-step method was investigated. Using an EMED-SF system, the parameters of contact area, contact time, maximum force, and peak pressure at seven sites of the foot were assessed for reliability of measurement in 10 normal subjects. The results of the study indicate that the two-step method is as reliable as the midgait method and may be preferred for use in both research and clinical settings.
Plantar pressure-measurement technology is being increasingly used by podiatric physicians and surgeons in both clinical practice and research. The authors present normal reference-range values for peak pressure, mean pressure, and pressure-time integral obtained from 30 healthy subjects using a two-step recording technique and the EMED-SF system, as background for proposed clinical trials. Normative data of this type are essential for clinical practice in the comparison of plantar pressure-measurement values of individual patients with those of normal, asymptomatic feet.
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