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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
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Home-Based Monitor for Gait and Activity Analysis
Published on: August 8, 2019
Concurrent Validity and Reliability of Inertial Sensor-Based Wearables for Quantifying Spatial-Temporal Gait
Víctor Martínez-Pozo1,2, David Barbado1,2, Carmina Díaz-Marín2
1Sports Research Centre, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain.
Brain Sciences
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Wearable sensors accurately measure spatial gait parameters like speed in stroke survivors. However, temporal parameters, especially swing time, show limitations due to gait alterations.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Rehabilitation Science
- Movement Science
Background:
- Stroke survivors often experience gait asymmetry and altered motor control.
- Accurate quantification of spatiotemporal gait parameters is crucial for rehabilitation and mobility assessment.
- Wearable inertial sensor systems offer a potential solution for objective gait analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the validity and reliability of wearable inertial sensor systems for quantifying spatiotemporal gait parameters in post-stroke adults.
- To assess the accuracy of spatial and temporal gait parameters measured by wearable sensors compared to reference systems.
- To evaluate the influence of stroke-related biomechanical alterations on sensor measurement accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of 16 studies involving 300 post-stroke participants.
- Analysis of measurement agreement (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient - ICC, Limits of Agreement - LoA) and test-retest reliability.
- Comparison of spatial (gait speed, cadence, step/stride length) and temporal (swing time) parameters.
Main Results:
- Spatial gait parameters demonstrated good-to-excellent agreement (ICC 0.85-0.98) and high reliability.
- Temporal parameters showed greater heterogeneity with lower concordance (ICC 0.40-0.85), particularly for swing time (ICC 0.40-0.70).
- Paretic-side measurements exhibited lower concordance and wider limits of agreement compared to the non-paretic side.
Conclusions:
- Wearable inertial sensors provide robust estimates for spatial gait parameters in post-stroke adults.
- Measurement accuracy for temporal gait parameters, especially swing time, remains a challenge due to gait event detection difficulties.
- Standardized protocols and improved algorithms are needed for enhanced clinical adoption and cross-study comparability.
