Assessment of gait kinetics using triaxial accelerometers

Repeated durations of dynamic activity with high ground reaction forces (GRFs) and loading rates (LRs) can be beneficial to bone health. To fully characterize dynamic activity in relation to bone health, field-based measurements of gait kinetics are desirable to assess free-living lower-extremity loading. The study aims were to determine correlations of peak vertical GRF and peak vertical LR with ankle peak vertical accelerations, and of peak resultant GRF and peak resultant LR with ankle peak resultant accelerations, and to compare them to correlations with tibia, thigh, and waist accelerations. GRF data were collected as ten healthy subjects (26 [19-34] years) performed 8-10 walking trials at velocities ranging from 0.19 to 3.05 m/s while wearing ankle, tibia, thigh, and waist accelerometers. While peak vertical accelerations of all locations were positively correlated with peak vertical GRF and LR (r² > .53, P < .001), ankle peak vertical accelerations were the most correlated (r² > .75, P < .001). All peak resultant accelerations were positively correlated with peak resultant GRF and LR (r² > .57, P < .001), with waist peak resultant acceleration being the most correlated (r² > .70, P < .001). The results suggest that ankle or waist accelerometers give the most accurate peak GRF and LR estimates and could be useful tools in relating physical activity to bone health.