On Plantar Pressure Profiles and Joint Biomechanics During Gait Towards Obesity Assessment in the UAE Population

Abstract

With immense and increasing prevalence rates from 21.5% to 30% in the UAE, both obesity and musculoskeletal problems, including low back pain and joints osteoarthritis, are considered among the fastest-rising 21st -century epidemics plaguing the lives of millions of individuals and imposing massive health and socioeconomic challenges worldwide. In the UAE, obesity is more than double the global average. Walking gait signatures reveal key information about the status and progression of numerous health challenges, especially those related to musculoskeletal conditions and obesity. Plantar pressure monitoring provides a cost-effective alternative to evaluate medical conditions. To further enable remote gait assessment there is a need to evaluate pressure distribution in the plantar region and relate this with body mass index.

This project aimed to study the effects of body mass index (BMI) and body shape on the UAE young population's gait biomechanics, particularly plantar pressure. Distribution, peak location, plantar pressure magnitude, and kinematics were all determined experimentally in healthy young subjects with varying BMI values and body shapes. The kinematic data was taken as input into a validated musculoskeletal model to predict the joint reaction forces. Furthermore, possible correlations between the plantar pressure parameters, the subjects' BMI, body shapes, and kinetics were examined to develop population-specific plantar pressure profiles. These profiles are essential for assessing and preventing foot injuries and developing footwear. The results of this study revealed correlations between various anthropometric measurements and both the magnitude and location of peak plantar pressures (PPPs). The absence of significant correlations with BMI emphasized the need for incorporating additional personalized anthropometric measures that reflect an individual’s body shape. Different BMI categories were impacted by the metrics in various ways, the normal weight group provided anthropometrics correlation coefficients higher than 0.80 with the shoulder and arm lengths, as well as the circumferences of the chest, ankle, and wrist. It was also shown that the ratio chest/hip correlated the best with this BMI group. Moving into higher BMIs, with the overweight and obese groups, both correlated significantly with the two ratios, chest/hip and waist/chest. However, an additional much stronger correlation was observed with the overweight group using the third ratio, waist/hip. The difference among those two BMI categories was in the other anthropometric correlations as the overweight group only correlated strongly with the thigh circumference, while the obese group only correlated with the lower arm length. Considering anthropometric measurements, both Euclidean and circumferential, may potentially pave the way for developing better metrics towards more accurate prediction of plantar pressure peak magnitude and location.

Date of Award	26 Apr 2024
Original language	American English
Supervisor	Marwan El Rich (Supervisor)