A method for inverse dynamic analysis using accelerometry

A method was developed to calculate total resultant force and moment on a body segment, in three dimensions, from accelerometer data. The method was applied for an analysis of intersegmental loading at the hip joint during the single support phase of working and running, using four triaxial accelerometers mounted on the upper body. Results were compared to a conventional analysis using simultaneously recorded kinematics and ground reaction forces. The loading patterns obtained by both methods were similar, but the accelerometry method systematically underestimated the intersegmental force and moment at the hip by about 20%. This could be explained by the inertial and gravitational forces originating from the swing leg which were neglected in the analysis. In addition, the accelerometry analysis was not not reliable during the impact phase of running, when the upper body and accelerometers did not behave as a rigid body. For applications where these limitations are acceptable, the accelerometry method has the advantage that it does not require a gait laboratory environment and can be used for field studies with a completely body-mounted recording system. The method does not require differentiation or integration, and therefore provided the possibility of real-time inverse dynamics analysis.