FeetMe® Monitor-connected insoles are a valid and reliable alternative for the evaluation of gait speed after stroke

Background One of the main challenges after stroke is gait recovery. To provide patients with an individualized rehabilitation program, it is helpful to have real-life objective evaluations at baseline and at regular follow-ups to adjust the program and verify potential improvements. Objectives To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of a fully stand-alone system of connected insoles (FeetMe (R) Monitor) against a widely used clinical walkway system (GAITRite (R)). Methods Twenty-nine subjects with a stroke that occurred >6 months prior participated in the study. Their comfortable gait over three 8-m trials was evaluated by four raters, on Day 1 and Day 7, using simultaneously FeetMe (R) Monitor and GAITRite (R). Velocity, stride length, cadence, stance, and swing duration were calculated on both sides over three sequences of gait: one single stride, 8 m, and three 8-m trials pooled. The Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and the Bland-Altman plot evaluated the construct validity (inter-device) and the reliability (test-retest and inter-rater) of FeetMe (R) Monitor. Results Through all gait analysis sequences, the inter-device ICCs were >0.95 for velocity, stride length, and cadence. Ranges of inter-device ICCs were [0.77-0.94] for stance duration for both limbs, and for swing duration [0.32-0.57] on the non-paretic side and [0.75-0.90] on the paretic side. Test-retest and inter-rater ICCs for all parameters were >0.73 for one single stride, >0.88 for 8-m trials and >0.94 for three 8-m trials. Conclusion FeetMe (R) Monitor is an accurate and reliable system for measurement of gait velocity, stride length, cadence, and stance duration in chronic hemiparesis.