pressuRe: an R package for analyzing and visualizing biomechanical pressure distribution data.

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Medical Informatics
• Software Engineering

Background:

• Biomechanical analyses often simplify forces as point loads, but distributed loads offer greater accuracy.
• Accurate pressure distribution analysis provides insights into health conditions like diabetic foot disease and plantar ulceration.
• Current pressure data analysis relies on proprietary software, hindering reproducibility and transparency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce 'pressuRe,' an open-source R package for standardized processing, analysis, and visualization of pressure data.
• To provide a reproducible and transparent alternative to proprietary software for biomechanical pressure analysis.
• To demonstrate the utility of 'pressuRe' using a diabetic foot disease dataset.

Main Methods:

• Development of an open-source software package, 'pressuRe,' within the R statistical computing environment.
• Standardized processing and analysis of pressure data from various hardware systems.
• Application of 'pressuRe' to analyze plantar pressure datasets from diabetic foot disease patients.

Main Results:

• The 'pressuRe' package successfully processed, analyzed, and visualized pressure data.
• Results from 'pressuRe' closely matched those obtained using commercial software.
• Patients with longer diabetes duration exhibited higher forefoot pressures compared to those with shorter duration.

Conclusions:

• 'pressuRe' offers a standardized, open-source solution for analyzing biomechanical pressure data, enhancing reproducibility and transparency.
• The package is a valuable tool for researchers and clinicians studying plantar pressures and other sensor array-based biomechanical measurements.
• The open-source nature facilitates collaboration and future development for broader applications.