title: Automated feature assessment in instrumented gait analysis.
abstract: A methodological modular framework is presented for automated assessment of gait patterns. The processing steps of data selection, gait parameter calculation and evaluation are not limited to a specific field of application and are largely independent of case-based clinical expert knowledge. For these steps, a variety of mathematical methods was used and the validity of the approach to assess gait parameters tested by applying it to the clinical problem of Botulinum Toxin A (BTX-A) treatment of the spastic equinus foot. A set of 3670 parameters was ranked by relevance for classification of a group of 42 diplegic cerebral palsy (CP) patients and an age-matched reference group. The same procedure was performed for pre- and post-therapeutic data sets of these patients. Gait parameters of high relevance coincided well with results of previous studies based on partly manual and more subjective parameter selection. A norm distance measure is introduced to facilitate the quantification of deviations from a normal walking pattern and can be used as an overall scalar measure to evaluate differences in gait patterns or as a set of measures attributing each joint angle separately.
authors.affiliation: Orthopädische Universitätsklinik Heidelberg, Schlierbacher Landstr. 200a, D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany. Sebastian.Wolf@ok.uni-hd.de
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Loose
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schablowski
authors.forename: Leonhard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Döderlein
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rupp
authors.forename: Hans Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gerner
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bretthauer
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mikut
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D004863:Equinus Deformity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009465:Neuromuscular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D009465:Neuromuscular Agents; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A