Biofeedback baropodometry training evaluation: a study with children with equinus foot deformity

The lack of perception in the hindfoot increases the plantar flexion, causing irregular posture due to the foot position, a disability known as equinus foot deformity. A portable device, named baropodometer, that measures the pressure at the forefoot and hindfoot regions was built to help this population in terms of balance and posture correction. Ten hemiparetic teenager volunteers with equinus foot participated in the experiments. The results demonstrated that the proposed device increased the weight-bearing in upright stance in the paretic side, decreasing the weight in the non-paretic side. After 10 experimental sessions, performed along 6 months, the distribution of the pressure in the lower limbs was very similar. The baropodometer facilitates the rehabilitation, by biofeedbacking the pressure of the calcaneus, using the volunteer's audiovisual system. The rehabilitation using the proposed device was able to recover the balance by posture correction, facilitating future gait training of these volunteers.