Validity of Evaluation Index Utilizing Three Components of Trunk Acceleration during Walking

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of an evaluation index of the vertical (VT), anteroposterior (AP), and mediolateral (ML) directions of trunk acceleration during walking. [Methods] Twenty-nine subjects volunteered for this study. Trunk acceleration and ground reaction force (GRF) during normal walking were measured. The root mean square (RMS), stride regularity (SR), and step symmetry (SS) were calculated on the basis of trunk acceleration. The displacement of COG was calculated by the double integration of GRF. The components of RMS, SS, SR, and COG were calculated in the AP, VT, and ML directions. We analyzed the correlation between RMS and COG and assessed differences among the three directions in SR and SS. [Results] We observed a significant correlation between RMS and COG in VT. SS and SR in the VT and AP directions were significantly higher than those in the ML direction. [Conclusion] These results suggest that RMS in the VT direction is useful in the gait analysis, SS and SR in the AP and VT directions were useful as indices showing the degree of deviation from normal gait.