Validation of two accelerometers to determine mechanical loading of physical activities in children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of accelerometers using force plates (i.e., ground reaction force (GRF)) during the performance of different tasks of daily physical activity in children. Thirteen children (10.1 (range 5.4-15.7) years, 3 girls) wore two accelerometers (ActiGraph GT3X+ (ACT), GENEA (GEN)) at the hip that provide raw acceleration signals at 100 Hz. Participants completed different tasks (walking, jogging, running, landings from boxes of different height, rope skipping, dancing) on a force plate. GRF was collected for one step per trial (10 trials) for ambulatory movements and for all landings (10 trials), rope skips and dance procedures. Accelerometer outputs as peak loading (g) per activity were averaged. ANOVA, correlation analyses and Bland-Altman plots were computed to determine validity of accelerometers using GRF. There was a main effect of task with increasing acceleration values in tasks with increasing locomotion speed and landing height (P < 0.001). Data from ACT and GEN correlated with GRF (r = 0.90 and 0.89, respectively) and between each other (r = 0.98), but both accelerometers consistently overestimated GRF. The new generation of accelerometer models that allow raw signal detection are reasonably accurate to measure impact loading of bone in children, although they systematically overestimate GRF.

The Relationship Between Whole-Body External Loading and Body-Worn Accelerometry During Team-Sport Movements

“…This analysis showed that peak segmental accelerations, regardless of accelerometer location, were strongest related to CoM acceleration from the 10-50% of the stance phase. Peak segmental accelerations, which previously have been used to investigate whole-body mechanical loading in daily life activities 7,8 or as in this and previously studies to validate whole-body loading from bodyworn accelerometry 5,6 , can therefore describe only part of the loading the body's soft tissues is exposed to during foot-ground-contact. Trying to use peak segmental accelerations to understand whole-body mechanical loading during foot-ground-contact in team sport movements could therefore be misleading.…”

“…Accelerometers located at the hip have for example demonstrated an acceptable association with the external forces acting on the whole body, biomechanically expressed as the ground reaction forces (GRF), during daily life activities 7,8 . In addition accelerometers located at the hip and tibia have shown a strong association with GRF in vertical jumping 9,10 .…”

The relationship between inertial measurement unit-derived ‘force signatures’ and ground reaction forces during cricket pace bowling

“…This study utilised a cross-sectional design which required participants to undertake a single testing session within a laboratory setting to determine the reliability and validity of accelerometers housed within IMUs in the assessment of FFC GRF measures for pace bowlers (Elvin et al, 2007;Meyer et al, 2015;Nedergaard et al, 2017;Tran et al, 2010;Wundersitz et al, 2013).…”

“…A total of 11 recreationally-trained males (age = 26.8 ± 2.2 years; mass = 86.6 ± 9.9 kg; height = 1.85 ± 0.05 m), who were proficient in the movements of cricket pace bowling were recruited for this study. The sample size was determined by a power analysis (α = 0.05, power = 0.95, effect size = 1.24, calculated sample size = 11) using the variance between vertical acceleration and GRF data during a 0.3 m drop landing task, collected via a hip mounted accelerometer and force plate, respectively (Meyer et al, 2015). Furthermore, the number of participants recruited for the investigation is similar to or exceeds that of previous studies which have assessed the reliability and validity of mircosensor mounted segment acceleration data as compared to GRF during dynamic movements (Elvin et al, 2007;McNamara et al, in press;McNamara et al, 2015;Meyer et al, 2015;Tran et al, 2010).…”

“…This may be beneficial in the estimation of bowling loads, but this does not provide specific information regarding the actual external loads or GRFs experienced during each delivery as a more direct measure of load experienced. The use of accelerometers in the expression of GRFs has been undertaken in other sporting movements and activities of daily living (Elvin, Elvin and Arnoczky, 2007;Meyer et al, 2015). Significant correlations (average r = 0.812; p < 0.01) have been found between peak tibial acceleration and GRF during a countermovement jump in recreational male athletes (Elvin et al, 2007).…”