Concurrent validity and reliability of a low-cost gait analysis system for assessment of spatiotemporal gait parameters

Abstract

Gait parameters, such as step length and step time, allow the quantification of gait deviations in persons with various diseases. Treatment can be customized and evaluated based on these parameters. However, few lowcost, easily applicable systems are available for clinical settings to accurately measure gait parameters. A lowcost spatiotemporal gait analysis system was developed and this study evaluated its accuracy and reliability. The spatiotemporal gait analysis system consists of a camera placed perpendicular to the walkway, which can be used stationary or moved manually along a parallel rail system to capture multiple strides of an individual during a single walk. Thirty-three healthy adults completed trials of barefoot, toe and shod walking. These adults were simultaneously recorded using an electronic walkway, the GAITRite®, for comparison. The results showed that the spatiotemporal gait analysis system is an accurate and reliable system to assess step and stride length, step, stance, and stride time, but not to assess double support and swing time. Objective: To determine the concurrent validity and reliability of a low-cost spatiotemporal gait analysis system for clinical use in rehabilitation medicine. Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: Thirty-three healthy adults. Methods: The spatiotemporal gait analysis system consists of a video camera placed perpendicular to a 10-m walkway and calibrated for spatial reference. The conditions evaluated in this study were: barefoot walking at comfortable and slow speed, toe and shod walking using a stationary camera setup and barefoot walking at comfortable speed using a moving camera setup. The GAITRite® was used as reference. Results: High intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC≥ 0.97; 95% lower limit confidence intervals (95% CIs) ≥ 0.77) were found between systems for step and stride length, and step, stance and stride time, across setups and conditions. Standard error of measurement and Bland-Altman repeatability coefficients were ≤ 2.4% and ≤ 6.3%, respectively. A minimum of 4 footsteps was required to obtain ICC >0.90 and coefficient of variation < 10%. For double support and swing time, ICCs were generally low (ICC≥ 0.21). Inter-rater reliability was excellent for step length, step and stance time (ICC≥ 0.94; lower limit 95% CIs ≥ 0.86). Conclusion: The spatiotemporal gait analysis system is valid and reliable for assessing spatiotemporal parameters in different walking conditions. However, the validity of double support and swing time could not be confirmed.

Kinect V2-Based Gait Analysis for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Validity and Reliability of Spatial Margin of Stability and Spatiotemporal Variables

“…In this study, spatiotemporal variables derived from the Kinect V2 sensor showed an excellent agreement with their referential counterparts (ICC 2,k = 0.83-0.99). In accordance with the present results, previous studies have reported a reasonable validity of the Kinect V2 when assessing spatiotemporal gait parameters regardless of what the walking condition (overground or treadmill-based), walk speed (at a self-comfortable or specific speed), population (healthy or patients with movement disorders), and also the referential motion capture system (optoelectronic cameras, videos, or press sensing mat) was [35,36,44,53,54]. This study also demonstrated good reliability of the Kinect V2 sensor for spatiotemporal measurements (ICC 2,k = 0.78-0.88), favouring prior findings [35,[55][56][57][58][59].…”

Dual-task interference as a function of varying motor and cognitive demands

“…This mat consists of 18,432 pressure sensors positioned in a 348 × 48 sensor grid, producing a spatial resolution of 0.5 inches (1.27 cm), with these sensors sampled at 120 Hz. This system provides an array of spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal kinematic variables, and has proven to be a valid and reliable measure of participants’ gait ( McDonough et al, 2001 ; Webster et al, 2005 ; Van Bloemendaal et al, 2019 ).…”

Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of Gait Training Assisted by Multichannel Functional Electrical Stimulation in Early Stroke Rehabilitation: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Step length during comfortable gait speed was measured with a customized spatiotemporal gait analysis system (SGAS). 34 Participants walked along a 10-m walkway until 5 valid left and right foot steps were collected in which each foot landed within the 130-cm-wide video field-of-view. The primary condition was walking without shoes and orthosis with as minimal as possible use of walking aids or physical assistance.…”

“…The secondary outcomes of the efficacy study were additional spatiotemporal gait parameters (step time asymmetry index, single-leg stance time asymmetry index, stride length, and stride time) for the barefoot and shod conditions, 34-36 walking capacity measures (walking balance measured with the Functional Gait Assessment 37,38 and comfortable gait speed calculated from the 10-Meter Walk Test 37 ), and balance control measured with the Berg Balance Scale. 39 Furthermore, fear of falling was evaluated by the Falls Efficacy Scale I (score range 16-64) and assessed only at 3-month follow-up.…”