Article

Quantitative gait analysis is essential for evaluating walking and
running patterns for markers of pathology, injury, or other gait characteristics.
It is expected that the portability, affordability, and applicability of wearable
devices to many different populations will have contributed advancements in
understanding the real-world gait patterns of walkers and runners. Therefore, the
purpose of this systematic review was to identify how wearable devices are being
used for gait analysis in out-of-lab settings. METHODS:
A systematic search was
conducted in the following scientific databases: PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE,
and SportDiscus. Each of the included articles was assessed using a custom
quality assessment. Information was extracted from each included article
regarding the participants, protocol, sensor(s), and analysis. RESULTS: A total
of 61 articles were reviewed: 47 involved gait analysis during walking, 13
involved gait analysis during running, and one involved both walking and running.
Most studies performed adequately on measures of reporting, and external and
internal validity, but did not provide a sufficient description of power. Small,
unobtrusive wearable devices have been used in retrospective studies, producing
unique measures of gait quality. Walking, but not running, studies have begun to
use wearable devices for gait analysis among large numbers of participants in
their natural environment. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the advantages provided by the
portability and accessibility of wearable devices, more studies monitoring gait
over long periods of time, among large numbers of participants, and in natural
walking and running environments are needed to analyze real-world gait patterns,
and would facilitate prospective, subject-specific, and subgroup investigations.
The development of wearables-specific metrics for gait analysis provide insights
regarding the quality of gait that cannot be determined using traditional
components of in-lab gait analyses. However, guidelines for the usability of
wearable devices and the validity of wearables-based measurements of gait quality
need to be established.
CI - Copyright (c) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS