Sako S1, Kato T2, Tanoue H3, Nakamura Y4, Yamanaka T4, Ishii F4, Inaba R5
1Nagoya Isen School Corporation Vocational College, Department of Physical Therapy, Nagoya, Japan, 2Saburi Orthopedic Surgical Clinic, Nagoya, Japan, 3Asuke Hospital, Department of Rehabilitation Technology, Toyota, Japan, 4Nihon Fukushi University, Faculty of Health Science, Handa, Japan, 5Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
Background: Many reports have verified the accuracy and reliability of software using accelerometers and gyrometers installed on smartphones through gait and body-sway analysis, and such software provide useful information for clinical application.
Purpose: In this study, we observed differences in gait when walking barefoot and while wearing exercise and heeled shoes by using gait analysis software developed based on an accelerometer installed on an iPhone, which is inexpensive and has simple measurement procedures, to investigate the effect of footwear on gait.
Methods: Forty healthy college-aged female individuals participated in this study. An iPhone with gait analysis software (Gait Analysis Pro ver. 1.2.0) was attached to the subject's waist (L3) to conduct gait analysis. We compared the mean values and examined the correlation of common items for each footwear regarding differences in gait. The level of significance was set as 5%.
Results: The walking speed and stride length were highest in the order of exercise shoes, barefoot, and heeled shoes. The vertical displacement of the center of mass was significantly greater when wearing heeled shoes than when barefoot, while the lateral displacement was significantly smaller when wearing heeled shoes than when barefoot. With heeled shoes, negative correlations were found between BMI and walking speed (r=−0.28), stride length (r=−0.30), displacement of the center of mass (lateral; r=−0.32), and heel angle (r=0.12), while a positive correlation was observed with the displacement of the center of mass (vertical; r=0.65).
Conclusion(s): In heeled shoes, walking speed and stride length are smaller than other footwears, and the results demonstrated that the vertical width significantly increased and the lateral width decreased in displacement of the center of mass (vertical and lateral) as the BMI value increased. This suggests an increase in vertical motion on the trunk and legs. In the future, it is essential to consider BMI, heel angle, and shock absorption when developing heeled shoes to further reduce the load on the body.
Implications: This study demonstrated that testing can be simplified and the indicators required for gait analysis can be secured using the iPhone software, which suggests that this is a useful means for determining the therapeutic effect of physical therapy and for creating therapy programs. In addition, given that the results of this study suggested a correlation between BMI and heeled shoes in the displacement of the center of mass, as one of the effects of footwear on gait, we demonstrated significant results for physical therapy on the topic of shoes, gait, and health management.
Keywords: iPhone, gait analysis, heeled shoes
Funding acknowledgements: No matters are applicable to the conflicts of interest to declare in relation to this publication, including the co-presenters.
Purpose: In this study, we observed differences in gait when walking barefoot and while wearing exercise and heeled shoes by using gait analysis software developed based on an accelerometer installed on an iPhone, which is inexpensive and has simple measurement procedures, to investigate the effect of footwear on gait.
Methods: Forty healthy college-aged female individuals participated in this study. An iPhone with gait analysis software (Gait Analysis Pro ver. 1.2.0) was attached to the subject's waist (L3) to conduct gait analysis. We compared the mean values and examined the correlation of common items for each footwear regarding differences in gait. The level of significance was set as 5%.
Results: The walking speed and stride length were highest in the order of exercise shoes, barefoot, and heeled shoes. The vertical displacement of the center of mass was significantly greater when wearing heeled shoes than when barefoot, while the lateral displacement was significantly smaller when wearing heeled shoes than when barefoot. With heeled shoes, negative correlations were found between BMI and walking speed (r=−0.28), stride length (r=−0.30), displacement of the center of mass (lateral; r=−0.32), and heel angle (r=0.12), while a positive correlation was observed with the displacement of the center of mass (vertical; r=0.65).
Conclusion(s): In heeled shoes, walking speed and stride length are smaller than other footwears, and the results demonstrated that the vertical width significantly increased and the lateral width decreased in displacement of the center of mass (vertical and lateral) as the BMI value increased. This suggests an increase in vertical motion on the trunk and legs. In the future, it is essential to consider BMI, heel angle, and shock absorption when developing heeled shoes to further reduce the load on the body.
Implications: This study demonstrated that testing can be simplified and the indicators required for gait analysis can be secured using the iPhone software, which suggests that this is a useful means for determining the therapeutic effect of physical therapy and for creating therapy programs. In addition, given that the results of this study suggested a correlation between BMI and heeled shoes in the displacement of the center of mass, as one of the effects of footwear on gait, we demonstrated significant results for physical therapy on the topic of shoes, gait, and health management.
Keywords: iPhone, gait analysis, heeled shoes
Funding acknowledgements: No matters are applicable to the conflicts of interest to declare in relation to this publication, including the co-presenters.
Topic: Human movement analysis; Musculoskeletal; Musculoskeletal: lower limb
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: The Society of Physical Therapy Science
Ethics committee: The research ethics committee of the Society of Physical Therapy
Ethics number: SPTS2017009
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
