Test-retest reliability of a conventional gait model for registering joint angles during initial contact and toe-off in healthy subjects

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of a conventional gait model (CGM), the Plug-in Gait model, to calculate the angles of the hip, knee, and ankle during initial contact (IC) and toe-off (TO). Gait analysis was performed using the Vicon Motion System® (Oxford Metrics, Oxford, UK). The study group consisted of 50 healthy subjects. To evaluate the test-retest reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the standard error of measurement (SEM), the minimal detectable change (MDC), and the Bland-Altman analysis with 95% limits of agreement were calculated. The ICC for the joint angles of the hip, knee, and ankle was higher than 0.80. However, the ankle angle at IC had an ICC lower than 0.80. The SEM was <5° for all parameters. The MDC was large (>5°) for the hip angle at IC. The Bland-Altman analysis indicated that the magnitude of divergence was between ±5° and ±9° at IC and around ±7° at TO. In conclusion, the ICC for the plug-in gait model was good for the hip, knee, and ankle angles during IC and TO. The plots revealed a disagreement between measurements that should be considered in patients' clinical assessments.