Development and Test of a Serious Game for Dorsiflexion and Plantarflexion Exercises of the Feet

Abstract

Congenital clubfoot is the most common disease of the musculoskeletal system, causing deformities in the musculature of the foot and requiring long-term motor rehabilitation. This article shows the design and development of a serious game to support the process of motor rehabilitation of clubfoot through dorsiflexion and plantarflexion exercises. The game is controlled by a wearable device (Papeteshoes), where the accelerometers are responsible for detecting the movement of the foot. A pilot test was carried out withtwo children with and without clubfoot (Congenital Talipes Equi-novarus-CTE) to examine the feasibility of the game as a therapy instrument. Usability and applicability questionnaires were applied after using the game. The results show that both children reacted in the same way to the proposals, performing the necessary movements for the motor recruitment of the muscles related to the leg and foot and maintaining the range of motion of the ankle joint.