Early diagnosis of coxarthrosis (in-shoe plantar pressure measurements)

INTRODUCTION:: Plantar pressure measurement during walking adds dynamic functional data to evaluation of gait disorders of teenagers with coxarthrosis. The duration of the complete gait cycle, its phases (stance and swing phase for right and left feet, double support) and phases of roll-over process are found useful in many clinical applications. METHODS:: In-shoe measurements were completed with Pedar system (99 element capacitive insoles from Novel, Munich, Germany) for 38 teenagers from military school (controls) and 29 teenagers with coxarthrosis. The data from 3 - 5 trials for each subject were collected. The distance was about 10 m, no requirements to the speed and step length were established. Special software was developed. RESULTS:: Time parameters for the complete gait cycle, its phases, phases of roll-over-process were calculated both for the controls and the teenagers with coxarthrosis It was found that stance phase and heel contact phase are decreased for the teenagers with coxarthrosis. DISCUSSION:: Decrease of stance phase, insufficient loading of the heel and decrease of heel contact time are a result of attempts to compensate the painfulness in the hip joint during walking. CONCLUSION:: Time parameters of the complete gait cycle and its phases may be useful in early diagnosis of coxarthrosis and evaluation of efficiency of the treatment.