title: Variability and repeatability analysis of plantar pressure during gait in older people.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Repeatability and variability of the plantar pressure during walking are important components in the clinical assessment of the elderly. However, there is a lack of information on the uniformity of plantar pressure patterns in the elderly.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the repeatability and variability in plantar pressure considering mean, peak and asymmetries during aged gait.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plantar pressure was monitored in four different days for ten elderly subjects (5 female), with mean±standard-deviation age of 73±6 years, walking barefoot at preferred speed. Data were compared between steps for each day and between different days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean and peak plantar pressure values were similar between the different days of evaluation. Asymmetry indexes were similar between the different days evaluated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plantar pressure presented a consistent pattern in the elderly. However, the asymmetry indexes observed suggest that the elderly are exposed to repetitive asymmetric loading during locomotion. Such result requires further investigation, especially concerning the role of these asymmetries for development of articular injuries.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Pesquisa em Neuromecânica Aplicada, Laboratório de Neuromecânica, Universidade Federal do Pampa, Uruguaiana, RS, Brasil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Pedro S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Pesquisa em Neuromecânica Aplicada, Laboratório de Neuromecânica, Universidade Federal do Pampa, Uruguaiana, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Caio Borella P da
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Pesquisa em Neuromecânica Aplicada, Laboratório de Neuromecânica, Universidade Federal do Pampa, Uruguaiana, RS, Brasil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Emmanuel S da
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Pesquisa em Neuromecânica Aplicada, Laboratório de Neuromecânica, Universidade Federal do Pampa, Uruguaiana, RS, Brasil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil. Electronic address: carpes@unipampa.edu.br.
authors.forename: Felipe P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Carpes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology*; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011312:Pressure; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Aging; Biomechanics; Biomecânica; Cinética; Envelhecimento; Foot; Gait; Kinetics; Marcha; Pé