Gait measurements in the transverse plane using a wearable system: An experimental study of test-retest reliability

Abstract

3D gait analysis comprises the study of kinematics in the sagittal, coronal, and transverse planes. The transverse plane measurements are usually less used and generally show the lowest reliability. Nevertheless, the knee and ankle joint center trajectories, in the transverse plane, provide new parameters that may be important in clinical gait analysis. The aim of this study is to analyze the test-retest variability of these parameters. Gait measurements were performed using H-Gait, a wearable system based on magnetic and inertial sensors. A normal weight and an overweight subject were recruited and were asked to walk at their preferred speed for 6 trials. For both of them, the angle between the right and left knee and ankle joint center trajectories were analyzed. Overall, results showed a standard deviation across trials always lower than 2°. This small standard deviation was found also in the overweight subject, for whom it is usually challenging to obtain reliable gait measurements. In addition, a greater knee angle between the right and left joint center trajectories was found in the overweight subject compared to the normal weight. The promising results of this study suggest that the new parameters introduced might be suitable to assess gait of subjects with different anthropometric characteristics.

Influence of BMI on Gait Characteristics of Young Adults: 3D Evaluation Using Inertial Sensors

“…In addition to the joint ROMs in the three planes, the trajectories of the center of the knee and ankle joints in the transverse plane were also evaluated, for each cycle and both the left and right lower limbs [6,31]. Trajectories are expressed with respect to a reference frame fixed on the pelvis, with the X axis directed as the walking direction, the Y axis in the medio-lateral direction and the origin (X = 0; Y = 0) in the middle point between the iliac crests.…”

“…The major (λ k ) and minor (ν k ) diameters of the average knee trajectories were obtained as shown in Figure 2b. Finally, the knee opening angle (θ k ) between the left and right major axes were assessed [6,31] (Figure 2c). The same data were calculated for the ankle joint trajectories (Figure 3), being in this case: A a the ankle area, λ a the ankle major diameter, ν a the ankle minor diameter, and θ a the ankle opening angle between the left and right major axes.…”