Basographic gait impairment score: A fuzzy classifier based on foot-floor contact parameters

Many parameters are usually extracted to fully describe the foot-floor-contact of a patient´s gait. A single gait score can be useful to help the clinician in pre/post treatment assessment and patient´s follow-up. We describe and validate a method to calculate a gait impairment score through a fuzzy classifier. From the foot-switch signal recorded during a subject´s gait we extract 8 basographic parameters for each lower limb. These are the inputs given to a Mamdani classifier, based on 36 rules, for the classification of gait. We obtain a separate output score for each lower limb, and an aggregate score representing the global walking impairment of the subject. The system is tested on a group of 5 normal subjects, and it is also tested on a group of 25 diabetic patients in basal conditions and after the completion of a rehabilitation program.