Immediate Effects of Real-Time Feedback During Overground Gait Performed Using Inertial Measurement Units on Gait Parameters in Healthy Young Participants: A Cross-Sectional Study

This cross-sectional study examined the immediate effects of four types of realtime feedback during overground gait performed using inertial measurement units on gait kinematics in healthy young participants. Twelve healthy young participants (mean age: 27.1 years) performed 60-s gait trials with each of the following real-time feedback: walking spontaneously (no feedback trial); increasing the ankle plantar-flexion angle during the late stance (ankle trial); increasing the leg extension angle, defined the location of the ankle joint relative to the hip joint in the sagittal plane, during late stance (leg trial); and increasing the knee flexion angle during the swing phase (knee trial). Tilt angles and accelerations of the pelvis and lower limb segments were measured using seven inertial measurement units pre- and postfeedback trials. The differences in gait parameters preand postfeedback according to the types of feedback were compared using onefactor repeated-measures analysis of variance, Friedman test, and post hoc test. Real-time feedback in the ankle trial increased gait speed, step length, and ankle

Automated summary

This cross-sectional study investigated the immediate effects of four types of realtime feedback using inertial measurement units on gait kinematics in healthy young individuals. The study found that real-time feedback on ankle dorsiflexion angle, ankle joint position relative to the hip joint in sagittal plane, and knee flexion angle during the swing phase can improve gait speed, step length, and ankle movement.