Using a Crossline Laser to Predict Peak Plantar Pressure During Walking

Abstract

Context Developing low-cost assessment tools to quantify ankle biomechanics in a clinical setting may improve rehabilitation for patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Objective To determine whether a crossline laser can predict peak plantar pressure during walking. Design Descriptive laboratory study. Setting Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants Twenty-five participants with CAI (9 men, 16 women; age = 20.8 ± 2.3 years, height = 170.4 ± 10.4 cm, mass = 78.9 ± 22.4 kg). Intervention(s) Participants completed 30 seconds of treadmill walking with a crossline laser fixed to their shoe while, simultaneously, a video camera recorded the laser projection on the wall and an in-shoe plantar-pressure system measured plantar pressure. Main Outcome Measure(s) Peak laser rotation and peak plantar pressure of the lateral midfoot and forefoot. Results With respect to peak plantar pressure, peak rotation of the laser during walking explained 57% of the variance in the lateral midfoot and 64% in the lateral forefoot. Conclusions The crossline laser may be a valuable clinical tool for predicting lateral peak plantar pressure in patients with CAI during walking.