Development and Prospective Validation of Wearable Sensor-Based Gait Metric for Individuals with Lower-Limb Amputation

Christopher Bennett; Ignacio Gaunaurd; Allison Symsack; E. Brooks Applegate; Josué de León Santana; Paul Pasquina; Robert Gailey

doi:10.3390/s26144613

Development and Prospective Validation of Wearable Sensor-Based Gait Metric for Individuals with Lower-Limb Amputation

Christopher Bennett, Ignacio Gaunaurd, Allison Symsack, E. Brooks Applegate, Josué de León Santana, Paul Pasquina Robert Gailey

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.26(14), p.4613

2026-07-21

: https://doi.org/10.3390/s26144613

: 42515495

wearable sensors

lower-limb amputation

gait analysis

inertial measurement units

machine learning

Lower-limb amputation is associated with persistent gait asymmetries and functional limitations that are not fully captured by conventional clinical outcome measures. This study aimed to develop and prospectively validate a wearable sensor-based Gait Goodness Score (GGS) derived from ensemble classifiers to summarize overall gait quality during supervised clinical walking. The algorithm was previously trained using inertial measurement unit data and clinically meaningful temporal–spatial features. In the present prospective, observational validation study, medically stable adults with lower-limb amputation performed supervised 10 m walk tests in outpatient rehabilitation settings, during which step-based GGS values were collected. Associations between GGS and established clinical measures, including walking velocity, Amputee Mobility Predictor (AMP) score, and Timed Up and Go (TUG) durations, were examined. GGS demonstrated significant differences across functional levels and amputation levels and showed strong associations with walking velocity and AMP score, with a significant moderate-to-fair association also observed for TUG and PLUS-M. These findings support the validity of GGS as a quantitative, sensor-derived metric of gait quality during supervised clinical walking in individuals with lower-limb amputation.

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url

https://doi.org/10.3390/s26144613

Published (Version of record)

: Development and Prospective Validation of Wearable Sensor-Based Gait Metric for Individuals with Lower-Limb Amputation
: Christopher Bennett - University of Miami
Ignacio Gaunaurd - University of Miami
Allison Symsack - Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
E. Brooks Applegate
Josué de León Santana - University of Miami
Paul Pasquina - Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Robert Gailey - University of Miami
: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), Vol.26(14), p.4613
: MDPI; BASEL
: 17
: Department of Defense/Veterans Affairs Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund: FAIN HU00012220039
This research was funded by the Department of Defense/Veterans Affairs Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund, Mobile Device Outcomes-based Rehabilitation Program Expansion Initiative, FAIN HU00012220039.
: Frost School of Music; Frost School of Music - Music Engineering; Miller School of Medicine; MUSIC ENGINEERING Department; UMMG Dept of Physical Therapy
: English
: Journal article
: 42515495
: 991033137794802976