Affordable force platforms compared to commercial standards for assessing kinetic parameters: A validation study

Force platforms are a key device in measuring kinetic parameters and has gained importance in the study of mechanical work, gait, jump and overall body performance and sport sciences. However, they can get costly. For this reason, the aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the Pasco PS-3229 force platform, which is an affordable option, against a commercial standard force platform, for assessing kinetic parameters in both young and older adults. For this, 20 sex-matched participants were included in the study: 10 young adults (26.7 ± 2.7 years) and 10 older adults (74.9 ± 4.4 years). Participants completed 6 trials of 3 tasks (habitual gait speed, sit-to-stand transfer, and countermovement jump) in random order, completing 120 trials per task. The force platform under study was positioned on top of the gold standard and primary kinetic variables (time, impulse, peak force) were extracted and compared between platforms. The results showed high correlations between kinetic measurements of both platforms across all tasks in young and older adults (all r = 0.99, p < 0.001) as well as high ICCs (all ICC = 0.99, p < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated minimal bias and narrow limits of agreement between platforms. Differences in kinetic values between platforms were observed across all tasks in both age groups, but these differences were considered trivial based on effect sizes (all d < 0.1). Therefore, the Pasco force platform is a valid and reliable tool for assessing kinetic parameters with minimal error in both young and older adults and is a cost-effective option up to commercial standards.