Validity and Reliability of Kinvent Plates for Assessing Single Leg Static and Dynamic Balance in the Field

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation Engineering

Background:

• Assessing unipodal balance is crucial for monitoring athletic performance and patient recovery, particularly for ankle instabilities.
• Existing laboratory-based force platforms can be cumbersome and limit field applicability.
• There is a need for portable and reliable systems for assessing balance in diverse environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the PLATES system, a novel pair of connected force platforms, for assessing unipodal balance in field settings.
• To compare PLATES' performance against a 6-DOF reference force platform under laboratory conditions.
• To evaluate the reliability and comparability of PLATES for Single Leg Balance and Single Leg Landing tests.

Main Methods:

• 14 healthy women performed Single Leg Balance and Single Leg Landing tests.
• Ground reaction forces were measured using PLATES under laboratory conditions alongside a 6-DOF reference force platform.
• The same tests were repeated in a field setting using only the PLATES system.

Main Results:

• PLATES demonstrated reliability in both laboratory and field assessments of unipodal balance.
• Key variables, including Mean Velocity of the Center of Pressure and Time to Stabilization, showed comparable results between PLATES and the reference platform.
• The system proved effective for simple unipodal balance tests.

Conclusions:

• The PLATES system is a reliable tool for assessing Single Leg Balance and Single Leg Landing tests.
• Its comparable performance to reference systems makes it suitable for both laboratory and field use.
• Health professionals, trainers, and researchers can utilize PLATES for monitoring balance in athletes and patients.