In prior posts, we’ve covered how Tekscan’s pressure measurement technology is different from force plate technology and how information from these types of systems can complement force plate data.

Recently, at the 2019 American College of Sports Medicine conference (ACSM) in Orlando, FL, researchers at the University of Memphis validated the Tekscan’s Strideway™ System against a force platform. Although force plates are considered a gold standard for capturing most gait related data, the lack of portability of the system can present a challenge when capturing data for certain types of applications, like athletic activities.

Evaluating Vertical Forces with Strideway

Using an AMTI Force plate, and the Strideway, the researchers compared the vertical ground reaction forces of the two platforms during quiet standing and weighted deadlifts. The findings for “Validation of the Tekscan Strideway Plantar Pressure Mat Compared to a Force Platform,” which was presented at ACSM, state:

• A high level of agreement (r = 0.959) was observed between the plantar pressure mat and force plate.
• The vertical force measured using the Tekscan Strideway plantar pressure system are comparable to the more expensive criterion method of a strain gauge-based force platform measures.

Rachael Ard primary researcher on the Strideway Validation poster at the ACSM conference.

Ard, R, Melaro, J., Carnall, A., Nelson, A., Blackmore, S., White,V., Paquette, M.,  Powell, D. (2019). Validation of the Tekscan Strideway Plantar Pressure Mat Compared to a Force Platform. Paper presented at 66th Annual Meeting of American College of Sports Medicine, Orlando, FL.  

View the full abstract here.

In-Shoe Technology to Confirm Gait Changes

Strideway wasn’t the only piece of Tekscan technology featured in research presented at ACSM. There were two additional papers that came from researchers affiliated with University of Texas Health San Antonio and Texas Women’s University in Houston, Texas using the F-Scan In-Shoe System. Both papers evaluated the effects of Lower Body Positive Body Pressure Treadmills on gait. The F-Scan system has been validated by numerous publications, allowing researchers to use it as a tool to identify gait changes and validate newer technology.

The poster ”Validation of a Built-In Gait Analytics System for Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmills” used the F-Scan System to validate the built-in gait analysis analytics in the treadmill software. The goal of the research project was to evaluate the specified parameters acquired from the Alter G treadmill while a portion of the body weight was off-loaded. Real-time data on weight-bearing symmetry, step length, stance time, and cadenced, all captured by the Alter G treadmill, were compared to those calculated by the Tekscan’s In-shoe System. 

Alexis Ortiz, PT, Ph.D., SCS, CSCS, FACSM, shown with poster at ACSM.

Ortiz, A., Migliano, P., Greenwood, R. (2019). Validation of a Built-In Gait Analysis System for Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill. Paper presented at 66th Annual Meeting of American College of Sports Medicine, Orlando, FL.

Evaluating Gait Mechanics with In-Shoe Technology

The poster, ”Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill Gait Mechanics Compared to a Regular Treadmill,” evaluated the differences in gait mechanics for a regular treadmill against a Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill operating at 100% body weight for weight bearing symmetry, stance time and cadence. The F-Scan System was used to measure these parameters.

Because Lower Body Positive Pressure treadmills are often used for rehabilitation tools, it’s important for a clinician to understand if a person’s gait mechanics change compared to using a regular treadmill. By using a validated tool, like the F-Scan System, the researchers were able to gather objective gait data to compare the two treadmill types. 

Pedro Migliano with poster at ACSM.

Migliano, P., Greenwood, R., Ortiz, A., (2019). Gait Mechanics between a Lower Body Positive Pressure and Regular Treadmill. Paper presented at 66th Annual Meeting of American College of Sports Medicine, Orlando, FL.

View both abstracts here.

Interested in learning more about how Tekscan technology has helped other gait researchers achieve quantifiable data for their research projects? Download this free eBook!