Reliability of the step phase detection using inertial measurement units: pilot study.

The use of inertial sensors for the gait event detection during a long-distance walking, for example, on different surfaces and with different walking patterns, is important to evaluate the human locomotion. Previous studies demonstrated that gyroscopes on the shank or foot are more reliable than accelerometers and magnetometers for the event detection in case of normal walking. However, these studies did not link the events with the temporal parameters used in the clinical practice; furthermore, they did not clearly verify the optimal position for the sensors depending on walking patterns and surface conditions.

Effects of laterally wedged insoles on knee and subtalar joint moments.

Objective: To assess the biomechanic effects of wearing a lateral wedge on the knee joint varus moment during gait in elders with and without knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Design: Crossover design whereby subjects walked under 2 different insole conditions: a 0 degrees control wedge and a 6 degrees lateral wedge.

Setting: A gait laboratory with 3-dimensional motion analysis and force platform equipment.

Gait analysis of people walking on tactile ground surface indicators.

Tactile ground surface indicators installed on sidewalks help visually impaired people walk safely. The visually impaired distinguish the indicators by stepping into its convexities and following them. However, these indicators sometimes cause the nonvisually impaired to stumble.

Changes of joint moments in the gait of normal subjects wearing laterally wedged insoles.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the kinematic and kinetic effects of wearing a laterally wedged insole on the knee joint moment during gait, specifically in the frontal plane, in normal healthy adults.

Design: Motion analyses were conducted with (1) a three-dimensional motion analysis system and (2) ground reaction force analysis using force platforms when subjects walked under three different insole conditions: no wedge, a low wedge with a 3-degree lateral angle, and a high wedge with a 6-degree lateral angle.

Results: The high-wedge insole significantly reduced the knee joint varus moment during gait compared with the gait with the no-wedge insole.