Variability of vertical ground reaction forces in persons with different degrees of lower limb impairment

Aim. This study aims to identify patterns in sensory data to determine descriptors of dynamic balance during walking in individuals with varying degrees of lower limb function impairment. Materials and methods. Data acquisition was performed using the Xsens MTw Awinda motion capture system and Xsens MVN Analyze software. Our analysis focused on assessing the variability of vertical ground reaction forces in lower limb segments, comparing values between adjacent segments (paired Student’s t-test), and examining relationships between adjacent segments’ reactions (foot-pelvis; Pearson’s r) in three subjects with a history of lower limb injuries of varying severity. Results. Data from MIMU sensors provided as sensory networks (body segments: pelvis, hips, shins, and feet) allow for accurate assessment of acceleration (vertical ground reaction) of each segment in individuals with varying severity of neuromuscular lower limb impairment. These characteristics serve as descriptors of neuromuscular interaction of adjacent lower limb segments, reflecting gait asymmetry in subjects. Conclusion. The identified descriptors (variability, consistency, interconnection) are of utmost importance for the development of anthropomorphic prostheses, habilitation and prosthetic rehabilitation protocols, and neural network classifiers for lower limb neuromuscular disorders.