Instrumented footwear inserts: A new tool for measuring forces and biomechanical state changes during dynamic movements

Abstract

Lower-limb musculoskeletal injuries are a pervasive problem in the population and military, especially during basic training where load bearing bones and joints are repeatedly subjected to aggressive movements and high forces. The ability to measure these elements is critical to acquisition decisions affecting or influencing cumulative load carriage of the individual Marine/Warfighter. These data might also serve as a critical enabler for prevention of training injuries and development of more quantitative training procedures that focus on mobility and agility. It has been inherently difficult to acquire this data outside of the laboratory in a robust and repeatable way. Herein, we report the construction and testing of a measurement system packaged within a shoe insert that is capable of measuring forces, accelerations, rotations and elevation changes. The ability to take these measurements in a mobile system facilitates new environments to monitor complex biomechanical actions without compromising natural gait rhythms. This can result in new methods for monitoring changes to gait and also help with rehabilitation strategies.