Foot Strike Pattern Detection Using a Loadsol® Sensor Insole

TL;DR

A sensor insole accurately detects foot strike patterns during running, showing potential for injury prevention and performance analysis.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel sensor insole method for field-based foot strike pattern detection with high accuracy.

Findings

The loadsol® sensor insole achieved 94.7% accuracy for rearfoot and 81.8% for forefoot strikes.

Runners showed mixed foot strike patterns even at constant speeds, indicating individual biomechanic variability.

Abstract

What are the main findings?
Foot strike pattern detection using the loadsol® sensor insole method achieved high detection accuracy for rearfoot (94.7%) and forefoot (81.8%) strikes compared to a traditional kinematic approach.Runners exhibited mixed foot strike patterns, even at constant treadmill speeds, highlighting individual variability in running biomechanics.

Foot strike pattern detection using the loadsol® sensor insole method achieved high detection accuracy for rearfoot (94.7%) and forefoot (81.8%) strikes compared to a traditional kinematic approach.

Runners exhibited mixed foot strike patterns, even at constant treadmill speeds, highlighting individual variability in running biomechanics.

What is the implication of the main finding?
The loadsol® sensor insole shows potential for field-based, step-to-step monitoring of FSP and impact forces, aiding injury prevention and performance analysis.

The loadsol® sensor insole shows potential for field-based, step-to-step monitoring of FSP and impact forces, aiding injury prevention and performance analysis.

Understanding the foot strike pattern (FSP) and impact force of running-related injuries is crucial for athletes and researchers. This study investigated a novel method for detecting FSP using the loadsol® sensor insole during treadmill running. Twelve collegiate athletes ran at three different speeds (12, 15, and 20 km/h), with their FSP determined using both the kinematic method based on the foot strike angle and the loadsol® method based on the plantar force applied to the rear-, mid-, and forefoot sensor areas. This study provides significant insights into FSP detection. Comparing the kinematic method to the loadsol® method, the rearfoot, midfoot, and forefoot strike detection rates were 94.7%, 37.1%, and 81.8%, respectively. Moreover, the FSP was not uniform, even during treadmill running at a constant speed, with most participants exhibiting mixed patterns across different speeds. The loadsol® sensor insole could offer a promising device for in-field measurement of FSP and impact forces, potentially helping researchers and athletes better understand and predict the potential running-related injury risks by monitoring step-to-step variations in running biomechanics.

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