Detection of swing heel-off event in gait initiation using force-plate data

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Gait Analysis
• Human Movement Science

Background:

• Accurate detection of gait events like heel-off is crucial for biomechanical analysis.
• Existing methods may require additional hardware, limiting accessibility.
• Force-plate data offers a potential non-invasive solution for gait event detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of four force-plate based methods for detecting the swing heel-off (HO) time during gait initiation.
• To compare these methods against a reference footswitch system.
• To determine the most effective force-plate method for HO detection across different walking speeds.

Main Methods:

• Four distinct methods utilizing force-plate data were analyzed.
• A reference method employing a footswitch was used for comparison.
• Ten healthy young adults performed forward gait initiation trials at self-selected and maximal speeds.

Main Results:

• The method based on vertical impulse demonstrated the highest accuracy and reliability in identifying HO time.
• Mean error for the vertical impulse method was -8±10ms (self-selected speed) and -7±10ms (maximal speed).
• Gait speed did not significantly affect the performance of the vertical impulse method (P>0.05).

Conclusions:

• The vertical impulse method using force-plate data is a valid and reliable tool for detecting heel-off in forward gait initiation.
• This method provides accurate gait event timing without the need for additional sensors.
• Findings support the use of force-plate analysis for accessible gait research and clinical applications.