A Compact Forearm Crutch Based on Force Sensors for Aided Gait: Reliability and Validity

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Medical Instrumentation

Background:

• Lower limb injuries often necessitate forearm crutches for weight-bearing relief.
• Objective monitoring of load-bearing is crucial for accurate injury progression assessment and complication prevention.
• Existing methods may lack the precision required for effective gait analysis during crutch use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel force-sensing system, the GCH System 2.0, for measuring loads on forearm crutches.
• To assess the accuracy and reliability of the GCH System 2.0 compared to a gold-standard measurement platform.
• To provide a feasible tool for objective control of loads during assisted gait.

Main Methods:

• Development of the GCH System 2.0, a force-sensor-based tool for crutch load measurement.
• Validation study comparing GCH System 2.0 measurements against the AMTI OR6-7-2000 Platform.
• Statistical analysis including intra-class correlation coefficient and regression analysis for precision assessment.
• Testing at various load percentages (10%, 25%, 50% of body weight).

Main Results:

• The GCH System 2.0 demonstrated excellent agreement with the AMTI Platform (intra-class correlation).
• A regression line indicated a high predictive ability of the GCH System 2.0 towards the AMTI Platform, achieving 99.3% precision.
• Valid and reliable load measurements were confirmed across different tested loads.

Conclusions:

• The GCH System 2.0 is a valid and reliable tool for assessing loads exerted on forearm crutches during assisted gait.
• This system offers objective measurement capabilities crucial for managing lower limb injuries.
• The GCH System 2.0 has the potential to improve patient care by enabling accurate monitoring of weight-bearing.