Assessment of Spatio-Temporal Parameters of Human Gait Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor-Based Devices.

Gait analysis is vital from the view of its established capacity as an indicator for neuromuscular disorders. Gait analysis is carried out in order to provide a quantified assessment of human movement which may aid orthopaedic and podiatric fraternity to suggest suitable therapeutic treatment. The proposed study comprises of two wearable non-invasive devices realized using FBG sensors i.e. Knee Angle Measurement Device (KAMD) for dynamic knee angle measurement and Forefoot Load Measurement Device (FLMD) for dynamic measurement of load on the forefoot. In the present study, the assessment of locomotion is illustrated and analyzed utilizing the developed devices without any time synchronization complexity. During locomotion, the swing and the stance phase is analyzed with respect to both knee joint angle and forefoot load which further reveals the complementary nature between them. In addition, FLMD can also be utilized for the evaluation of single and double limb support phases during locomotion. Furthermore, the novel cantilever approach utilized in the FLMD design ensures to acquire the load imparted specifically over the forefoot region which facilitates FLMD to be employed for assessment of other locomotory actions such as landing phase analysis during leaps, climbing stairs, treadmill tests etc. Also, the cantilever approach helps minimize the hysteresis effects on the device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]