Reliability and validity of a force-instrumented treadmill for evaluating balance: A preliminary study of feasibility in healthy young adults

BackgroundWith the development of computer technology, computerized dynamic posturography provides objective assessments of balance and posture control under static and dynamic conditions. Although a force-instrumented treadmill-based balance assessment is feasible for balance evaluations, currently no data exists.ObjectiveThis study was undertaken to assess the reliability and validity of balance evaluations using a force-instrumented treadmill.MethodsTen healthy adults participated in evaluations using both the treadmill and the EquiTest. Four balance evaluations were conducted: Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance, Unilateral Stance, Weight Bearing Squat, and Motor Control Test.ResultsAll balance evaluations using the force-instrumented treadmill method shared good reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥0.6). The Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance, Unilateral Stance, and Weight Bearing Squat evaluations had a correlation of r < 0.5 with EquiTest, whereas the Motor Control Test balance evaluation had moderate correlations (r > 0.5) with the EquiTest.ConclusionThe results demonstrated that all balance evaluations using the force-instrumented treadmill were reliable, and that the Motor Control Test evaluation was moderately correlated with the EquiTest. Therefore, the use of a force-instrumented treadmill in balance evaluations might provide a certain level of value to clinical practice.