The Memphis Center For Biomedical Engineering in Pediatrics
Clinical-based Instrumentation for Gait Analysis
Abstract of thesis by Scott Elchert
Gait analysis has proven useful by quantifying walking motions in way that aid in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of diseases, but it is seldom used due to high costs associated with traditional gait laboratories. The goal of this research is to provide an alternative quantitative method by combining modern instrumentation (miniature, low cost, triaxial accelerometers) and data analysis techniques to quantify differences in the gait of children specifically for a clinician's use in a children's spasticity clinic. Key features of the instrumentation-analysis package are the accelerometer resolution (5mg), range (±2g), resistance to damage at higher acceleration levels (up to 25g), and bandwidth (125 Hz) used to examine and group the manifold smaller-scale accelerations that are part of any gait cycle. The analysis methods use the large values of one accelerometer component to select a representative gait cycle. This cycle provides the fundamental period for all the accelerometer signals used to compare the gaits of children. Results of a pilot study suggest that accelerometric data collected from the lateral surfaces of four lower limb segments can be used to categorize gait differences in the gait of children with spasticity. These results and the ease of use of this low cost measurement package provide strong reasons for continued work to apply such quantification techniques in spasticity clinics.
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