Estimation of minimum foot clearance using a single foot-mounted inertial sensor and personalized foot geometry scan

Abstract The real-world measurement of minimum foot clearance (mFC) during the swing phase of gait is critical in efforts to understand and reduce the risk of trip-and-fall incidents in populations with gait impairments. Past research has focused on measuring clearance of a single point on a person’...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Katherine Heidi Fehr, Jennifer Nicole Bartloff, Yisen Wang, Scott Hetzel, Peter G. Adamczyk
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-06-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63124-6
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832594706953928704
author Katherine Heidi Fehr
Jennifer Nicole Bartloff
Yisen Wang
Scott Hetzel
Peter G. Adamczyk
author_facet Katherine Heidi Fehr
Jennifer Nicole Bartloff
Yisen Wang
Scott Hetzel
Peter G. Adamczyk
author_sort Katherine Heidi Fehr
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The real-world measurement of minimum foot clearance (mFC) during the swing phase of gait is critical in efforts to understand and reduce the risk of trip-and-fall incidents in populations with gait impairments. Past research has focused on measuring clearance of a single point on a person’s foot, typically the toe—however, this may overestimate mFC and may even be the wrong region of the foot in cases of gait impairments or interventions. In this work, we present a novel method to reconstruct the swing-phase trajectory of an arbitrary number of points on a person’s shoe and estimate the instantaneous height and location of whole-foot mFC. This is achieved using a single foot-mounted inertial sensor and personalized shoe geometry scan, assuming a rigid-body IMU-shoe system. This combination allows collection and analysis using out-of-lab tests, potentially including clinical environments. Validation of single marker location using the proposed method vs. motion capture showed height errors with bias less than 0.05 mm, and 95% confidence interval of − 8.18 to + 8.09 mm. The method is demonstrated in an example data set comparing different interventions for foot drop, and it shows clear differences among no intervention, functional electrical stimulation, and ankle–foot orthosis conditions. This method offers researchers and clinicians a rich understanding of a person’s gait by providing objective 3D foot kinematics and allowing a unique opportunity to view the regions of the foot where minimum clearance occurs. This information can contribute to a more informed recommendation of specific interventions or assistive technology than is currently possible in standard clinical practice.
format Article
id doaj-art-919cf65a1fc346409377facabc39351a
institution Kabale University
issn 2045-2322
language English
publishDate 2024-06-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Scientific Reports
spelling doaj-art-919cf65a1fc346409377facabc39351a2025-01-19T12:24:55ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-06-0114111110.1038/s41598-024-63124-6Estimation of minimum foot clearance using a single foot-mounted inertial sensor and personalized foot geometry scanKatherine Heidi Fehr0Jennifer Nicole Bartloff1Yisen Wang2Scott Hetzel3Peter G. Adamczyk4Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMechanical Engineering Department, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMechanical Engineering Department, University of Wisconsin-MadisonDepartment of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMechanical Engineering Department, University of Wisconsin-MadisonAbstract The real-world measurement of minimum foot clearance (mFC) during the swing phase of gait is critical in efforts to understand and reduce the risk of trip-and-fall incidents in populations with gait impairments. Past research has focused on measuring clearance of a single point on a person’s foot, typically the toe—however, this may overestimate mFC and may even be the wrong region of the foot in cases of gait impairments or interventions. In this work, we present a novel method to reconstruct the swing-phase trajectory of an arbitrary number of points on a person’s shoe and estimate the instantaneous height and location of whole-foot mFC. This is achieved using a single foot-mounted inertial sensor and personalized shoe geometry scan, assuming a rigid-body IMU-shoe system. This combination allows collection and analysis using out-of-lab tests, potentially including clinical environments. Validation of single marker location using the proposed method vs. motion capture showed height errors with bias less than 0.05 mm, and 95% confidence interval of − 8.18 to + 8.09 mm. The method is demonstrated in an example data set comparing different interventions for foot drop, and it shows clear differences among no intervention, functional electrical stimulation, and ankle–foot orthosis conditions. This method offers researchers and clinicians a rich understanding of a person’s gait by providing objective 3D foot kinematics and allowing a unique opportunity to view the regions of the foot where minimum clearance occurs. This information can contribute to a more informed recommendation of specific interventions or assistive technology than is currently possible in standard clinical practice.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63124-6
spellingShingle Katherine Heidi Fehr
Jennifer Nicole Bartloff
Yisen Wang
Scott Hetzel
Peter G. Adamczyk
Estimation of minimum foot clearance using a single foot-mounted inertial sensor and personalized foot geometry scan
Scientific Reports
title Estimation of minimum foot clearance using a single foot-mounted inertial sensor and personalized foot geometry scan
title_full Estimation of minimum foot clearance using a single foot-mounted inertial sensor and personalized foot geometry scan
title_fullStr Estimation of minimum foot clearance using a single foot-mounted inertial sensor and personalized foot geometry scan
title_full_unstemmed Estimation of minimum foot clearance using a single foot-mounted inertial sensor and personalized foot geometry scan
title_short Estimation of minimum foot clearance using a single foot-mounted inertial sensor and personalized foot geometry scan
title_sort estimation of minimum foot clearance using a single foot mounted inertial sensor and personalized foot geometry scan
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63124-6
work_keys_str_mv AT katherineheidifehr estimationofminimumfootclearanceusingasinglefootmountedinertialsensorandpersonalizedfootgeometryscan
AT jennifernicolebartloff estimationofminimumfootclearanceusingasinglefootmountedinertialsensorandpersonalizedfootgeometryscan
AT yisenwang estimationofminimumfootclearanceusingasinglefootmountedinertialsensorandpersonalizedfootgeometryscan
AT scotthetzel estimationofminimumfootclearanceusingasinglefootmountedinertialsensorandpersonalizedfootgeometryscan
AT petergadamczyk estimationofminimumfootclearanceusingasinglefootmountedinertialsensorandpersonalizedfootgeometryscan