In a study published in the February 2017 issue of Gait and Posture, Reliability and validity of the ProtoKinetics movement analysis software in measuring center of pressure during walking, study authors Robert C. Lynall, Lisa A Zukowski, Prudence Plummer, and Jason P. Mihalik found that:
- PKMAS center of pressure outcomes were highly correlated with force plate outcomes and were reliable between testing sessions.
- PKMAS slightly underestimated center of pressure compared to the force plates.
- PKMAS in conjunction with the Zeno Walkway may allow for more efficient investigation of dynamic balance during gait.
In the study, 25 healthy participants were tested in 2 sessions 5 days apart to determine the validity and test-retest reliability of ProtoKinetics Movement Analysis Software (PKMAS) in measuring center of pressure during walking as compared to a force plate gold standard.
During each test session, study participants completed 16 trials: 8 on a ProtoKinetics Zeno Walkway mat using PKMAS and 8 walking over 2 force plates arranged in an offset tandem pattern. The authors calculated COP path length (cm) and speed (cm/s) using data averaged across the 8 trials on each device for each foot. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) and Bland-Altman plots were produced between the PKMAS and force plate outcomes for session 1 to determine validity.
The study authors concluded that the PKMAS is a reliable tool to measure COP in healthy people during gait. Further, using PKMAS with the ProtoKinetics Zeno Walkway may allow for more efficient investigation of dynamic balance variables during functional movement tasks.