ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2018 June;177(6):293-300

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.17.03568-9

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Myotest efficiency in the mechanical analysis of the stride

Dorian DEFLANDRE ¹ ✉, Kevin MINY ¹, Cédric SCHWARTZ ², Nadia DARDENNE ³, Anne-France LECLERC ¹, Thierry BURY ¹

¹ Department of Sport and Rehabilitation Science, Liège University, Liège, Belgium; ² Laboratory of Human Motion Analysis, Liège University, Liège, Belgium; ³ Department of Public Health Sciences, Liège University, Liège, Belgium

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the reliability of portable accelerometer (Myotest) in running analysis.
METHODS: Ten male runners participated in the experimental protocol for an analysis of the reproducibility, and 20 other runners participated in the experimental protocol for the analysis of the validity of the device. The reproducibility study, focusing on the 13 parameters of the device, consisted of repeating three races at three different speeds (8, 12 and 16 km/h), 3 weeks apart. The validity study compared the Myotest values of five main parameters of the stride (step frequency, stride length, contact time, flight time, reactivity), at 8 and 16 km/h, with those of two reference tools, a three-dimensional optoelectronic system (Codamotion) and an optical detection system (Optogait). Levels of concurrent validity and reproducibility were expressed with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV), while agreement was expressed by standard errors of measurement (SEM).
RESULTS: The Myotest showed a good to excellent reproducibility (ICC>0.70) for the three running speeds, except for two parameters: asymmetry and regularity index. The validity of step frequency and stride length, at both speeds and compared to the two reference tools, is good (ICC>0.70), while the validity of the contact time, flight time and reactivity is bad (ICC<0.00).
CONCLUSIONS: The Myotest provides data that are valid and very reproducible. The device can highlight different characteristics of stride and allows comparisons between individuals or longitudinal monitoring of an athlete.

KEY WORDS: Biomedical technology assessment - Reproducibility of results - Gait - Running