Clinical–Functional Evaluation and Test–Retest Reliability of the G-WALK Sensor in Subjects with Bimalleolar Ankle Fractures 6 Months after Surgery

Abstract

Ankle fractures can cause significant functional impairment in the short and long term. In recent years, gait analysis using inertial sensors has gained special relevance as a reliable measurement system. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in spatiotemporal gait parameters and clinical–functional measurements in patients with bimalleolar ankle fracture and healthy subjects, to study the correlation between the different variables, and to analyze the test–retest reliability of a single inertial sensor in our study population. Twenty-two subjects with bimalleolar ankle fracture six months after surgery and eleven healthy subjects were included in the study. Spatiotemporal parameters were analyzed with the G-WALK sensor. Functional scales and clinical measures were collected beforehand. In the ankle fracture group, the main differences were obtained in bilateral parameters (effect size: 0.61 ≤ d ≤ 0.80). Between-group differences were found in cadence, speed, stride length, and stride time (effect size: 1.61 ≤ d ≤ 1.82). Correlation was moderate (0.436 < r < 0.554) between spatiotemporal parameters and clinical–functional measures, explaining up to 46% of gait performance. Test–retest reliability scores were high to excellent (0.84 ≤ ICC ≤ 0.98), with the worst results in the gait phases. Our study population presents evident clinical–functional impairments 6 months after surgery. The G-WALK can be considered a reliable tool for clinical use in this population.

Keywords

• malleolar fractures
• inertial sensor unit
• wearable sensor
• walking
• spatiotemporal parameters
• gait analysis