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Published on: August 30, 2016
Assessment of seated postural control in children: comparison of a force platform versus a pressure mapping system
Michèle Lacoste1, Marc Therrien, Julie N Côté
1Gait and Posture Laboratory, Marie Enfant Rehabilitation Centre, CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Objective:
To establish the validity and reliability of a pressure mapping system to measure seated postural control in children.
Design:
A concurrent validity and reliability study.
Setting:
Gait and posture laboratory of a rehabilitation center.
Participants:
Thirteen able-bodied children volunteers.
Intervention:
Measurements were taken on a seating simulator in quiet sitting and while reaching. The localization of the center of pressure (COP) in the anteroposterior and mediolateral directions was measured simultaneously by means of a pressure mapping system and a force platform.
Main Outcome Measures:
Concurrent validity was first assessed by Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients and then by Student paired t tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank test (P<.05) on the range and root mean square (RMS) amplitudes of COP. Reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients and coefficients of variation.
Results:
The COP signals were significantly correlated between both instruments for the RMS and range in both tasks and directions (mean r> or =.87) and for the time series while reaching (r> or =.99), as well as during quiet sitting (r> or =65). Both instruments showed generally fair to good reliability in quiet sitting and excellent reliability when reaching.
Conclusions:
The pressure mapping system can detect the COP displacement as effectively as the force platform. In a clinical context, it could help in the evaluation of seated stability and also help in evaluating the efficacy of seating components for wheelchair users.
