Abstract
The assessment of loading during walking and running has historically been limited to data collection in laboratory settings or with devices that require a computer connection. This study aims to determine if the loadsol®—a single sensor wireless insole—is a valid and reliable method of assessing force. Thirty (17 male and 13 female) recreationally active individuals were recruited for a two visit study where they walked (1.3 m/s) and ran (3.0 and 3.5 m/s) at a 0%, 10% incline, and 10% decline, with the visits approximately one week apart. Ground reaction force data was collected on an instrumented treadmill (1440 Hz) and with the loadsol® (100 Hz). Ten individuals completed the day 1 protocol with a newer 200 Hz loadsol®. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC3,k) were used to assess validity and reliability and Bland–Altman plots were generated to better understand loadsol® validity. Across conditions, the peak force ICCs ranged from 0.78 to 0.97, which increased to 0.84–0.99 with the 200 Hz insoles. Similarly, the loading rate ICCs improved from 0.61 to 0.97 to 0.80–0.96 and impulse improved from 0.61 to 0.97 to 0.90–0.97. The 200 Hz insoles may be needed for loading rate and impulse in running. For both walking and running, the loadsol® has excellent between-day reliability (>0.76).
Highlights
Ground reaction forces are often used in the assessment of both normal and pathologic gait as a means of understanding various loading parameters [1,2,3,4,5,6]
Studies focusing on gait biomechanics in which there was a desire to assess lower extremity loading have been limited to research facilities with either force plates, pressure pads, or an instrumented treadmill [7,8,9,10,11,12,13]
A number of devices have been developed that allow for the assessment of force measures through in-shoe pressure insoles
Summary
Ground reaction forces are often used in the assessment of both normal and pathologic gait as a means of understanding various loading parameters [1,2,3,4,5,6]. A number of devices have been developed that allow for the assessment of force measures through in-shoe pressure insoles. Systems like the pedar® -X (Novel Electronics, St. Paul, MN, USA) and the F-Scan (Tekscan, Inc, South Boston, MA, USA) allow for the collection of in-shoe pressure data outside of traditional laboratory systems. MN, USA) and the F-Scan (Tekscan, Inc, South Boston, MA, USA) allow for the collection of in-shoe pressure data outside of traditional laboratory systems These systems both require cabling from the insoles to a controller that the research participant has to carry, typically in a pouch or backpack [14,20].
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