Single sensor measurement of heel-height during the push-off phase of gait

Objective . In healthy gait a forceful push-off is needed to get an efficient leg swing and
propulsion, and a high heel lift makes a forceful push-off possible. The power of the push-off is
decreased with increased age and in persons with impaired balance and gait. The aim of this study
was to evaluate whether a wearable equipment (Striton) and algorithms to estimate vertical
heel-height during gait from a single optical distance sensor is reliable and feasible for clinical
applications. Approach . To assess heel-height with the Striton system an optical distance sensor
was used to measure the distance to the floor along the shank. An algorithm was created to transform
this measure to a vertical distance. The heel-height was validated in an experimental setup, against
a 3D motion capture system (MCS), and test-retest and day-to-day tests were performed on 10 elderly
persons. As a reference material 83 elderly persons were included, and heel-height was measured
befor...

Source: Physiological Measurement - November 29, 2021 Category: Physiology Authors: Tomas B äcklund, Helena Grip, Fredrik Öhberg and Nina Sundström Source Type: research