Validation of a newly developed low-cost, high-accuracy, camera-based gait analysis system

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Clinical Biomechanics
• Locomotion Analysis

Background:

• Gait analysis is crucial for assessing mobility and fall risk, especially in older adults and those with musculoskeletal issues.
• Traditional systems are often costly, complex, and difficult to use, necessitating more accessible alternatives.
• There is a clinical need for affordable, user-friendly gait analysis tools with broad applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the IB-gait® system, a novel camera-based tool, against the established VICON motion analysis system.
• To assess the reliability and agreement of IB-gait® measurements for key spatiotemporal gait parameters.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-eight healthy adults performed gait analysis at self-selected speeds using both VICON and IB-gait® simultaneously.
• Nine spatiotemporal parameters were measured, including stride length, step length, cadence, and gait velocity.
• Bland-Altman plots and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to evaluate system agreement.

Main Results:

• IB-gait® demonstrated excellent agreement with VICON for distance-based parameters like stride length (ICC=0.97) and gait velocity (ICC=0.97).
• High reliability was observed for step length (ICC=0.92) and cadence (ICC=0.97).
• Lower agreement was found for time-based parameters, such as double-limb duration (ICC=0.12) and swing phase (ICC=0.241).

Conclusions:

• IB-gait® presents a feasible, cost-effective alternative to VICON for gait analysis, particularly for distance metrics.
• The system's practicality supports its potential for widespread clinical adoption.
• Further research is recommended to improve time-based measurements and validate performance in varied patient groups.