Article

Foot roll-over is commonly analyzed to evaluate gait pathologies. The current
study utilized a dynamic foot scanner (DFS) to analyze foot roll-over. The right
feet of ten healthy subjects were assessed during gait trials with a DFS system
integrated into a walkway. A foot sole picture was computed by vertically
projecting points from the 3D foot shape which were lower than a threshold height
of 15 mm. A 'height' value of these projected points was determined;
corresponding to the initial vertical coordinates prior to projection. Similar to
pedobarographic analysis, the foot sole picture was segmented into anatomical
regions of interest (ROIs) to process mean height (average of height data by ROI)
and projected surface (area of the projected foot sole by ROI). Results showed
that these variables evolved differently to plantar pressure data previously
reported in the literature, mainly due to the specificity of each physical
quantity (millimeters vs Pascals). Compared to plantar pressure data arising from
surface contact by the foot, the current method takes into account the whole
plantar aspect of the foot, including the parts that do not make contact with the
support surface. The current approach using height data could contribute to a
better understanding of specific aspects of foot motion during walking, such as
plantar arch height and the windlass mechanism. Results of this study show the
underlying method is reliable. Further investigation is required to validate the
DFS measurements within a clinical context, prior to implementation into clinical
practice.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS