An Automated Approach to Instrumenting the Up-on-the-Toes Test(s)

Normal ankle function provides a key contribution to everyday activities, particularly step/stair ascent and descent, where many falls occur. The rising up-on-the-toes (UTT) 30 second test (UTT-30) is used in the clinical assessment of muscle strength/function endurance typically assessed by an observer counting UTT movement completed. aims this study are: (i) determine whether inertial measurement units (IMUs) provide valid UTT-30 comparing IMU-derived metrics with those from force-platform (FP), (ii) describe how IMUs can be dynamics/stability when performing single that held for 5 s (UTT-stand). Twenty adults (26.2 ± 7.7 years) performed UTT-stand on attached each foot lumbar spine. We evaluate agreement/association between IMU measures determined FP. For UTT-30, analysis peaks plantarflexion velocity FP’s centre pressure (CoP) was identify repeated provided objective means discount any movements were not completed ‘fully’. deemed have been ‘fully’ yielded peak CoP values during period below 1 SD participant’s mean across their UTT. number detected approach (23.5) agreed FP (23.6), same (IMU, 19.9; FP, 19.7). UTT-stand, dynamics/postural stability moderately-to-strongly correlated derived Our findings highlight use test(s).