Gait initiation process: Comparing force and pressure platforms data

Abstract

Gait initiation is the transition from standing to cyclic posture and it is challenging for both typical and pathological subject. Force and pressure platforms are often used to compute the center of pressure (COP) displacement and force or pressure, since these are ways to evaluate gait initiation kinetics. Thus, the aim of this study is to compare kinetic data of gait initiation between one double force platform and one pressure platform. Ten healthy adults performed gait initiation on a AMTI double platform and Tekscan pressure platform. The average data of three successful trials were used for analysis. The duration of anticipatory period (Time_COP_1) and the duration of the first step period (Time_COP_2) were computed by a custom-written Matlab code. Wilcoxon tests were used compare AMTI and Tekscan results. The duration of period 1 (Anticipatory) presented statistically significant differences, where the execution in the plantar pressure platform presented a shorter duration when compared with the force platform (p = 0.003). Both platforms had similar duration time for the period 2 duration (Execution of the first step), therefore did not present statistically significant differences, showing that the two systems present the same information. Therefore, despite the technological differences, it is safe to analyze the COP variables with any of the tested instruments.