![]() Combined with biofeedback and additional gait support via the robowalk® expander system, a modern instrumented treadmill is by far superior to conventional force plates in almost all gait applications. Unlike force plates, an instrumented treadmill can record an unlimited number of steps in a safe environment (harness for fall prevention and/or unweighting for partial body weight) on a treadmill. Also notable is the possibility to easily regulate the constant speed of the treadmill, ranging from the gait of an elderly individual to a sprinting healthy athlete.Įspecially when it comes to pathological gait and clinical applications such as locomotion therapy, a treadmill is an indispensable tool. The initial higher investment will be balanced by a quicker data acquisition and an improved efficiency of the laboratory. Force measuring treadmills became increasingly common in biomechanical laboratories as an alternative to over ground gait analysis, because they allow for measurement of repetitive strides, require less laboratory space and facilitate the measurement of ground reaction forces through the embedded force plates ( Sloot et al., 2014). Measuring forces with strain gauge or piezo-electric load cells, however, is considered to be state of the art and the gold standard in a biomechanical lab. Furthermore an optometric system like the OPTOGAIT (Microgate) can be embedded and measure timing and positioning parameters. The pressure distribution, various gait and running parameters, COP, foot rotation, pronation, supination, gait symmetry as well as the vertical force can be calculated with the help of this technology (e.g. For example, pressure distribution platforms can be integrated underneath the belt of the treadmill. Nowadays there are different commercial instrumented treadmills available with different specifications. Nevertheless, force plates have to be mounted evenly into the floor, either in a pit our surrounded by a platform, which makes it very difficult to install retrospectively into an existing facility. Additionally, a setup utilising force plates requires more space in order to reach and keep a certain speed before hitting the plate. Getting sufficient data for both feet can be therefore very challenging, time consuming, fatiguing and frustrating for investigators and patients and decreases the efficiency of a laboratory. Oggero and colleagues (1998) reviewed their trials, and found that only 25% of their subjects would require three or less trials to obtain an accurate trial of one foot. ![]() ![]() As a result, kinematic and kinetic parameters and especially the variability of the step length will be affected ( Meurisse et al, 2016). This compels the subject to visually place the feet correctly on the force plates. Results will be inaccurate if the subject misses the platform, places only one part of the foot on it or touches the plate with both feet. For accurate data collection, it is crucial for the subject to hit the platform, with only one foot. Force platforms can accurately measure the six forces and moment components, but while they offer a lower initial investment, they have some disadvantages. The most common ways to measure forces is to use force platforms or instrumented treadmills. The evaluation of the external forces acting upon each lower limb may be required, for example to estimate the joint forces and moments developed at the ankle, knee and hip by the inverse dynamic method.
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