title: Using effect size to quantify plantar pressure asymmetry of gait of nondisabled adults and patients with hemiparesis.
abstract: In the literature, numerous statistical analyses are used to quantify asymmetry in gait. This study tested the effect size (ES) statistic for quantifying asymmetry in nondisabled and pathological populations. The plantar pressure peaks on eight footprint locations of 27 nondisabled subjects and 18 patients with hemiparesis were bilaterally compared. Asymmetry quantifications were performed with ES and standard statistical tests (index of asymmetry, symmetry index, and ratio index). The results show an advantage in using ES to quantify asymmetry when confidence limits are also calculated. Conversely, traditional asymmetry indexes immediately implied asymmetry without statistical basis. These findings should be considered when one is attempting to diagnose pathological walking patterns or guide rehabilitation processes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Etudes de la Motricité Humaine, Faculté des Sciences du Sport et de l'Education Physique, Ronchin, France.
authors.forename: François J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Potdevin
authors.forename: Virginie G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Femery
authors.forename: Aurélien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Decatoire
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bosquet
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Coello
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moretto
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010291:Paresis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011312:Pressure; D055815:Young Adult