Wearable Technology May Assist in Retraining Foot Strike Patterns in Previously Injured Military Service Members: A Prospective Case Series

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

Daniel J. Watson¹  Erin M. Miller²  Gregory M. Freisinger³  Donald L. Goss⁴  Amy N. Weart⁵  Eliza B. Szymanek⁶ 

[1] 15th Medical Group, Joint Base Pearl Harbor—Hickam, Honolulu, HI, United States;Baylor University—Keller Army Community Hospital Division 1 Sports Physical Therapy Fellowship, West Point, NY, United States;Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, United States;Department of Physical Therapy, High Point University, High Point, NC, United States;Department of Physical Therapy, Keller Army Community Hospital, West Point, NY, United States;Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, United States;

关键词: wearable technology;    running biomechanics;    loading rate;    cadence;    foot strike;    gait-retraining;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fspor.2021.630937

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

A rearfoot strike (RFS) pattern with increased average vertical loading rates (AVLR) while running has been associated with injury. This study evaluated the ability of an instrumented sock, which provides real-time foot strike and cadence audio biofeedback, to transition previously injured military service members from a RFS to a non-rearfoot strike (NRFS) running pattern. Nineteen RFS runners (10 males, 9 females) were instructed to wear the instrumented socks to facilitate a change in foot strike while completing an independent walk-to-run progression and lower extremity exercise program. Kinetic data were collected during treadmill running while foot strike was determined using video analysis at initial (T1), post-intervention (T2), and follow-up (T3) data collections. Nearly all runners (18/19) transitioned to a NRFS pattern following intervention (8 ± 2.4 weeks after the initial visit). Most participants (16/18) maintained the transition at follow-up (5 ± 0.8 weeks after the post-intervention visit). AVLR of the involved and uninvolved limb decreased 29% from initial [54.7 ± 13.2 bodyweights per sec (BW/s) and 55.1 ± 12.7 BW/s] to post-intervention (38.7 ± 10.1 BW/s and 38.9 ± 10.0 BW/s), respectively. This effect persisted 5-weeks later at follow-up, representing an overall 30% reduction on the involved limb and 24% reduction on the uninvolved limb. Cadence increased from the initial to the post-intervention time-point (p = 0.045); however, this effect did not persist at follow-up (p = 0.08). With technology provided feedback from instrumented socks, approximately 90% of participants transitioned to a NRFS pattern, decreased AVLR, reduced stance time and maintained these running adaptations 5-weeks later.

【 授权许可】

Unknown