Article

Plantar pressure measurement is an important tool in gait analysis. Manual
placement of small masks (masking) is increasingly used to calculate plantar
pressure characteristics. Little is known concerning the reliability of manual
masking. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of masking on 2D
plantar pressure footprints, in a population with forefoot deformity (i.e. hallux
valgus). Using a random repeated-measure design, four observers identified the
third metatarsal head on a peak-pressure barefoot footprint, using a small mask.
Subsequently, the location of all five metatarsal heads was identified, using the
same size of masks and the same protocol. The 2D positional variation of the
masks and the peak pressure (PP) and pressure time integral (PTI) values of each
mask were calculated. For single-masking the lowest inter-observer reliability
was found for the distal-proximal direction, causing a clear, adverse impact on
the reliability of the pressure characteristics (PP and PTI). In the
medial-lateral direction the inter-observer reliability could be scored as high.
Intra-observer reliability was better and could be scored as high or good for
both directions, with a correlated improved reliability of the pressure
characteristics. Reliability of multi-masking showed a similar pattern, but
overall values tended to be lower. Therefore, small sized masking in order to
define pressure characteristics in the forefoot should be done with care.

Langue : ANGLAIS