Cross-sectional study comparing smart insoles and manual methods for short physical performance battery in hip fracture patients

TL;DR

This study compares smart insoles and manual methods for assessing physical function in hip fracture patients, finding smart insoles to be reliable and efficient.

Contribution

The study introduces smart insoles as a reliable alternative to manual SPPB assessments for hip fracture patients.

Findings

Smart insoles showed slightly higher balance test scores compared to manual methods.

Overall SPPB scores were closely matched between smart insoles and manual assessments.

High correlations were observed between the two methods for individual and total SPPB scores.

Abstract

The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is a widely used tool for assessing physical function in older adults, including those who experienced a hip fracture. Traditionally, medical professionals perform the SPPB manually, which is time-consuming and prone to subjective interpretation. However, recent technological advancements have introduced smart insoles that can automatically capture and analyze data related to gait and balance, potentially offering a more objective and efficient method for performing the SPPB.

In this study, we aimed to compare the smart insole method versus the manual method for SPPB assessment in hip fracture patients. We recruited a sample of 57 patients with hip fracture aged 50 years or older. The participants underwent both the smart insole assessment and the manual assessment simultaneously. The SPPB consists of three subtests: balance, gait speed, and chair stands.

The balance test scores slightly increased with smart insoles, showing a mean difference of 0.086 and a p-value of 0.037. In contrast, chair stand and gait speed tests showed negligible differences, with p-values of 0.777 and 1.000, respectively. The overall SPPB scores were closely matched between the methods, with a minimal mean difference of 0.103 and a p-value of 0.282. High correlations were observed across the assessments, with r of 0.95 for individual tests and 0.98 for total SPPB scores.

The smart insole method provides a reliable and efficient alternative to the manual method for assessing SPPB in hip fracture patients. Smart insoles in assessments can save time and resources while improving accuracy and standardization of SPPB measurements.

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