Abstract
Gyroscopes have been used in previous studies to measure the peak angular velocity of the shoe or foot in the frontal plane (evVel). However, it is not clear whether different test conditions (footwear hardness or locomotion speed) can influence the accuracy of evVel. The purpose of the present study was to compare the accuracy of gyroscopes and electrogoniometers when measuring evVel and the time until evVel (t_evVel) in 12 different conditions using a single axis gyroscope attached to the heel cap. Twenty-four recreational runners were instructed to walk and run on a 15-m indoor track at four locomotion speeds (1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 m/s, and individual running speed) and in three footwear conditions (low to high hardness). The gyroscope data and electrogoniometer data were sampled at a rate of 1000 Hz. Comparisons between both measurement devices showed small mean differences up to 49.8 ± 46.9 deg/s for evVel and up to 5.3 ± 3.5 ms for t_evVel. Furthermore, strong relationships between gyroscope and electrogoniometer data were found for evVel as well as for t_evVel for all conditions. It can be concluded that gyroscopes can be used to accurately determine evVel and t_evVel under a variety of conditions.
Highlights
Foot pronation is a natural damping mechanism during walking and running, whereby the eversion—a part of pronation—plays a crucial role in reducing the acting forces on the lower limbs.Eversion velocity seems to be more decisive for critical loading than the maximum angular excursion.In this context, studies have reported that high eversion velocities could be associated with medial tibial stress syndrome [1,2,3]
analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that rearfoot stiffness and Heelheight were influenced by footwear type, with all pair-wise comparisons reaching statistical significance (p < 0.001)
The purpose of the present study was to compare the accuracy of gyroscopes and electrogoniometers when measuring eversion velocity (evVel) and time until evVel (t_evVel)
Summary
Eversion velocity seems to be more decisive for critical loading than the maximum angular excursion. In this context, studies have reported that high eversion velocities could be associated with medial tibial stress syndrome [1,2,3]. Aside from investigating injuries, previous studies examined the influence of footwear construction or foot orthoses [1,4,5,6,7], exhaustion [8], and running pace [9] on maximum eversion velocity and the time until it occurs. Time-intensive preparation of subjects, considerable laboratory size, and high prices are the disadvantages of these systems. Low sampling rates between 50 and 500 Hz and marker-artifacts due to wobbling can influence the accuracy of calculated parameters, especially when observing kinematics in the frontal and transversal planes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
