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OA-Pain-Sense: Machine Learning Prediction of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis Pain from IMU Data. INFORMATICS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/informatics9040097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Joint pain is a prominent symptom of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis (OA), impairing patients’ movements and affecting the joint mechanics of walking. Self-report questionnaires are currently the gold standard for Hip OA and Knee OA pain assessment, presenting several problems, including the fact that older individuals often fail to provide accurate self-pain reports. Passive methods to assess pain are desirable. This study aims to explore the feasibility of OA-Pain-Sense, a passive, automatic Machine Learning-based approach that predicts patients’ self-reported pain levels using SpatioTemporal Gait features extracted from the accelerometer signal gathered from an anterior-posterior wearable sensor. To mitigate inter-subject variability, we investigated two types of data rescaling: subject-level and dataset-level. We explored six different binary machine learning classification models for discriminating pain in patients with Hip OA or Knee OA from healthy controls. In rigorous evaluation, OA-Pain-Sense achieved an average accuracy of 86.79% using the Decision Tree and 83.57% using Support Vector Machine classifiers for distinguishing Hip OA and Knee OA patients from healthy subjects, respectively. Our results demonstrate that OA-Pain-Sense is feasible, paving the way for the development of a pain assessment algorithm that can support clinical decision-making and be used on any wearable device, such as smartphones.
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Identifying the Effects of Age and Speed on Whole-Body Gait Symmetry by Using a Single Wearable Sensor. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22135001. [PMID: 35808494 PMCID: PMC9269851 DOI: 10.3390/s22135001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Studies on gait symmetry in healthy population have mainly been focused on small range of age categories, neglecting Teenagers (13–18 years old) and Middle-Aged persons (51–60 years old). Moreover, age-related effects on gait symmetry were found only when the symmetry evaluation was based on whole-body acceleration than on spatiotemporal parameters of the gait cycle. Here, we provide a more comprehensive analysis of this issue, using a Symmetry Index (SI) based on whole-body acceleration recorded on individuals aged 6 to 84 years old. Participants wore a single inertial sensor placed on the lower back and walked for 10 m at comfortable, slow and fast speeds. The SI was computed using the coefficient of correlation of whole-body acceleration measured at right and left gait cycles. Young Adults (19–35 years old) and Adults (36–50 years old) showed stable SI over the three speed conditions, while Children (6–12 years old), Teenagers (13–18 years old), Middle-Aged persons and Elderly (61–70 and 71–84 years old) exhibited lower SI values when walking at fast speed. Overall, this study confirms that whole-body gait symmetry is lower in Children and in Elderly persons over 60 years of age, showing, for the first time, that asymmetries appear also during teenage period and in Middle-Aged persons (51–60 years old).
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Natarajan P, Fonseka RD, Sy LW, Maharaj MM, Mobbs RJ. Analysing Gait Patterns in Degenerative Lumbar Spine Disease Using Inertial Wearable Sensors: An Observational Study. World Neurosurg 2022; 163:e501-e515. [PMID: 35398575 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Using a chest-based inertial wearable sensor, we examined the quantitative gait patterns associated with lumbar disc herniation (LDH), lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), and chronic mechanical low back pain (CMLBP). 'Pathological gait signatures' were reported as statistically significant group difference (%) from the 'normative' gait values of an age-matched control population. METHODS A sample of patients presenting to the Prince of Wales Private Hospital (Sydney, Australia) with primary diagnoses of LDH, LSS, or CMLBP were recruited. Spatial, temporal, asymmetry, and variability metrics were compared with age-matched (±2 years) control participants recruited from the community. Participants were fitted at the sternal angle with an inertial measurement unit, MetaMotionC, and walked unobserved (at a self-selected pace) for 120 m along an obstacle-free, carpeted hospital corridor. RESULTS LDH, CMLBP, and LSS groups had unique pathological signatures of gait impairment. The LDH group (n = 33) had marked asymmetry in terms of step length, step time, stance, and single-support asymmetry. The LDH group also involved gait variability with increased step length variation. However, distinguishing the CMLBP group (n = 33) was gait variability in terms increased single-support time variation. The gait of participants with LSS (n = 22) was both asymmetric and variable in step length. CONCLUSIONS Wearable sensor-based accelerometry was found to be capable of detecting the gait abnormalities present in patients with LDH, LSS, and CMLBP, when compared to age-matched controls. Objective and quantitative patterns of gait deterioration uniquely varied between these subtypes of lumbar spine disease. With further testing and validation, gait signatures may aid clinical identification of gait-altering pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragadesh Natarajan
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia; NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia; Wearables and Gait Assessment Research Group, Sydney, Australia.
| | - R Dineth Fonseka
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia; NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia; Wearables and Gait Assessment Research Group, Sydney, Australia
| | - Luke Wincent Sy
- School of Mathematics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Monish Movin Maharaj
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia; NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia; Wearables and Gait Assessment Research Group, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ralph Jasper Mobbs
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia; NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia; Wearables and Gait Assessment Research Group, Sydney, Australia
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Son EJ, Kim JH, Noh HE, Kim I, Lim JA, Han SH. Comparison of Gait Parameters during Forward Walking under Different Visual Conditions Using Inertial Motion Sensors. Yonsei Med J 2022; 63:82-87. [PMID: 34913287 PMCID: PMC8688370 DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2022.63.1.82] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Gait evaluation in patients with dizziness is essential during both initial evaluation and vestibular rehabilitation. Inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based gait analysis systems are clinically applicable in patients with dizziness. Since dizzy patients can utilize visual inputs to compensate for vestibular deficits, it is more difficult for them to walk with their eyes closed (EC). In this study, we compared gait characteristics during forward walking with both eyes open (EO) and EC between healthy subjects and dizzy patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-nine healthy controls (mean age 37.18±10.71 years) and 23 patients with dizziness (mean age 49.25±15.16 years) were subjected to vestibular and gait analyses. Medical histories, physical examinations, and vestibular function tests ruled out possible vestibular deficits in the controls. Subjects were instructed to walk at a comfortable pace for 10 m under two conditions (EO or EC). Spatiotemporal parameters, kinematics, and simulated kinetics of each gait recording were recorded using a shoe-type IMU system and analyzed. RESULTS Although gait speeds were slower, stride lengths were smaller, and double support times were increased under the EC, compared to the EO condition, in both healthy subjects and dizzy patients, the difference was more prominent in dizzy patients. Phase coordination index values did not differ significantly in either group. Gait asymmetry (GA) increased significantly under the EC condition, compared to the EO condition, in dizzy patients. CONCLUSION GA during forward walking was greater in dizzy patients under an EC condition than under an EO condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Jin Son
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yongin, Korea.
| | - Ji Hyung Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hye Eun Noh
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Inon Kim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joo Ae Lim
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung Hwan Han
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
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Bajpai R, Joshi D. A-GAS: A Probabilistic Approach for Generating Automated Gait Assessment Score for Cerebral Palsy Children. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2021; 29:2530-2539. [PMID: 34847034 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2021.3131466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Gait disorders in children with cerebral palsy (CP) affect their mental, physical, economic, and social lives. Gait assessment is one of the essential steps of gait management. It has been widely used for clinical decision making and evaluation of different treatment outcomes. However, most of the present methods of gait assessment are subjective, less sensitive to small pathological changes, time-taking and need a great effort of an expert. This work proposes an automated, comprehensive gait assessment score (A-GAS) for gait disorders in CP. Kinematic data of 356 CP and 41 typically developing subjects is used to validate the performance of A-GAS. For the computation of A-GAS, instance abnormality index (AII) and abnormality index (AI) are calculated. AII quantifies gait abnormality of a gait cycle instance, while AI quantifies gait abnormality of a joint angle profile during walking. AII is calculated for all gait cycle instances by performing probabilistic and statistical analyses. Abnormality index (AI) is a weighted sum of AII, computed for each joint angle profile. A-GAS is a weighted sum of AI, calculated for a lower limb. Moreover, a graphical representation of the gait assessment report, including AII, AI, and A-GAS is generated for providing a better depiction of the assessment score. Furthermore, the work compares A-GAS with a present rating-based gait assessment scores to understand fundamental differences. Finally, A-GAS's performance is verified for a high-cost multi-camera set-up using nine joint angle profiles and a low-cost single camera set-up using three joint angle profiles. Results show no significant differences in performance of A-GAS for both the set-ups. Therefore, A-GAS for both the set-ups can be used interchangeably.
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Goihl T, Ihlen EAF, Bardal EM, Roeleveld K, Ustad A, Brændvik SM. Effects of Ankle-Foot Orthoses on acceleration and energy cost of walking in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Prosthet Orthot Int 2021; 45:500-505. [PMID: 34561379 DOI: 10.1097/pxr.0000000000000044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impaired postural control is a key feature of cerebral palsy that affects daily living. Measures of trunk movement and acceleration have been used to assess dynamic postural control previously. In many children with cerebral palsy, ankle-foot orthoses are used to provide a stable base of support, but their effect on postural control is not yet understood. OBJECTIVES The objectives of the current study were to investigate the effects of ankle-foot orthoses on postural control and energy cost of walking in children with cerebral palsy. STUDY DESIGN Clinical study with controls. METHODS Trunk accelerometry (amplitude and structure) and energy cost of walking (J/kg/m) were recorded from five-minute walking trials with and without ankle-foot orthoses for children with cerebral palsy and without orthoses for the reference group. RESULTS Nineteen children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy and fourteen typically developed children participated. The use of ankle-foot orthoses increased structure complexity of trunk acceleration in mediolateral and anterior-posterior directions. The use of ankle-foot orthoses changed mediolateral-structure toward values found in typically developed children. This change was not associated with a change in energy cost during walking. CONCLUSIONS The use of ankle-foot orthoses does affect trunk acceleration that may indicate a beneficial effect on postural control. Using measures of trunk acceleration may contribute to clinical understanding on how the use of orthoses affect postural control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Goihl
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
- Trøndelag Orthopaedic Workshop, TOV, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Espen Alexander F Ihlen
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ellen Marie Bardal
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Karin Roeleveld
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Astrid Ustad
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Siri Merete Brændvik
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
- Clinical Services, St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
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Betteridge C, Mobbs RJ, Fonseka RD, Natarajan P, Ho D, Choy WJ, Sy LW, Pell N. Objectifying clinical gait assessment: using a single-point wearable sensor to quantify the spatiotemporal gait metrics of people with lumbar spinal stenosis. JOURNAL OF SPINE SURGERY 2021; 7:254-268. [PMID: 34734130 DOI: 10.21037/jss-21-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Background Wearable accelerometer-containing devices have become a mainstay in clinical studies which attempt to classify the gait patterns in various diseases. A gait profile for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) has not been developed, and no study has validated a simple wearable system for the clinical assessment of gait in lumbar stenosis. This study identifies the changes to gait patterns that occur in LSS to create a preliminary disease-specific gait profile. In addition, this study compares a chest-based wearable sensor, the MetaMotionC© device and inertial measurement unit python script (MMC/IMUPY) system, against a reference-standard, videography, to preliminarily assess its accuracy in measuring the gait features of patients with LSS. Methods We conduct a cross-sectional observational study examining the walking patterns of 25 LSS patients and 33 healthy controls. To construct a preliminary disease-specific gait profile for LSS, the gait patterns of the 25 LSS patients and 25 healthy controls with similar ages were compared. To assess the accuracy of the MMC/IMUPY system in measuring the gait features of patients with LSS, its results were compared with videography for the 21 LSS and 33 healthy controls whose walking bouts exceeded 30 m. Results Patients suffering from LSS walked significantly slower, with shorter, less frequent steps and higher asymmetry compared to healthy controls. The MMC/IMUPY system had >90% agreement with videography for all spatiotemporal gait metrics that both methods could measure. Conclusions The MMC/IMUPY system is a simple and feasible system for the construction of a preliminary disease-specific gait profile for LSS. Before clinical application in everyday living conditions is possible, further studies involving the construction of a more detailed disease-specific gait profile for LSS by disease severity, and the validation of the MMC/IMUPY system in the home environment, are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callum Betteridge
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia.,Wearables and Gait Assessment Group, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ralph J Mobbs
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia.,Wearables and Gait Assessment Group, Sydney, Australia
| | - R Dineth Fonseka
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia.,Wearables and Gait Assessment Group, Sydney, Australia
| | - Pragadesh Natarajan
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia.,Wearables and Gait Assessment Group, Sydney, Australia
| | - Daniel Ho
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia.,Wearables and Gait Assessment Group, Sydney, Australia
| | - Wen Jie Choy
- Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia.,Wearables and Gait Assessment Group, Sydney, Australia
| | - Luke W Sy
- NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia.,Wearables and Gait Assessment Group, Sydney, Australia.,School of Biomechanics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nina Pell
- NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group, Sydney, Australia.,NeuroSpine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick, Australia.,Wearables and Gait Assessment Group, Sydney, Australia
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Carcreff L, Gerber CN, Paraschiv-Ionescu A, De Coulon G, Newman CJ, Aminian K, Armand S. Comparison of gait characteristics between clinical and daily life settings in children with cerebral palsy. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2091. [PMID: 32034244 PMCID: PMC7005861 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59002-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Gait assessments in standardized settings, as part of the clinical follow-up of children with cerebral palsy (CP), may not represent gait in daily life. This study aimed at comparing gait characteristics in laboratory and real life settings on the basis of multiple parameters in children with CP and with typical development (TD). Fifteen children with CP and 14 with TD wore 5 inertial sensors (chest, thighs and shanks) during in-laboratory gait assessments and during 3 days of daily life. Sixteen parameters belonging to 8 distinct domains were computed from the angular velocities and/or accelerations. Each parameter measured in the laboratory was compared to the same parameter measured in daily life for walking bouts defined by a travelled distance similar to the laboratory, using Wilcoxon paired tests and Spearman’s correlations. Most gait characteristics differed between both environments in both groups. Numerous high correlations were found between laboratory and daily life gait parameters for the CP group, whereas fewer correlations were found in the TD group. These results demonstrated that children with CP perform better in clinical settings. Such quantitative evidence may enhance clinicians’ understanding of the gap between capacity and performance in children with CP and improve their decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Carcreff
- Laboratory of Kinesiology Willy Taillard, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland. .,Pediatric Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Corinna N Gerber
- Pediatric Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anisoara Paraschiv-Ionescu
- Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Geraldo De Coulon
- Laboratory of Kinesiology Willy Taillard, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland.,Pediatric orthopedics, Geneva University Hospitals, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christopher J Newman
- Pediatric Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kamiar Aminian
- Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Armand
- Laboratory of Kinesiology Willy Taillard, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
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Junior PRF, Moura RCFD, Oliveira CS, Politti F. Use of wearable inertial sensors for the assessment of spatiotemporal gait variables in children: A systematic review. MOTRIZ: REVISTA DE EDUCACAO FISICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1590/s1980-6574202000030139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Leban B, Cimolin V, Porta M, Arippa F, Pilloni G, Galli M, Pau M. Age-Related Changes in Smoothness of Gait of Healthy Children and Early Adolescents. J Mot Behav 2019; 52:694-702. [PMID: 31650909 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2019.1680949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we acquired and processed trunk accelerations during level walking in 85 children aged 8-13 years to calculate spatio-temporal parameters and Harmonic Ratio (HR), which is a metrics representative of gait smoothness and step-to-step symmetry. The results show that while spatio-temporal parameters remain unchanged once normalized considering individuals' anthropometry, significantly higher values of HR for both the antero-posterior and vertical directions were found in participants aged 12-13 with respect to those of 8-9. This indicates an improvement of gait symmetry, which suggests that the gait maturation process is still ongoing for the age ranges tested here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Leban
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Veronica Cimolin
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Micaela Porta
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Federico Arippa
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Pilloni
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Manuela Galli
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Pau
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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Symmetry of Gait in Underweight, Normal and Overweight Children and Adolescents. SENSORS 2019; 19:s19092054. [PMID: 31052569 PMCID: PMC6539288 DOI: 10.3390/s19092054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal excess or lack of body mass can influence gait patterns, but in some cases such differences are subtle and not easy to detect, even with quantitative techniques for movement analysis. In these situations, the study of trunk accelerations may represent an effective way to detecting gait anomalies in terms of symmetry through the calculation of Harmonic Ratio (HR), a parameter obtained by processing trunk accelerations in the frequency domain. In the present study we used this technique to assess the existence of differences in HR during gait in a cohort of 75 healthy children and early adolescents (aged 7-14 years) stratified into 3 equally-sized age and gender-matched groups (Underweight: UW; Normal Weight: NW; Overweight: OW). The accelerometric signal, acquired using a single wearable inertial sensor, was processed to calculate stride length, speed, cadence and HR in antero-posterior, vertical and medio-lateral directions. No differences in spatio-temporal parameters were found among groups, while the HR in the medio-lateral direction was found significantly lower in UW children, while OW exhibited the highest values. On the basis of the results obtained, HR appears capable of discriminating gait symmetry in children with different body mass even when conventional gait parameters are unchanged.
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