Abstract
The Step Holter is a software and mobile application that can be used to easily study gait analysis.
The application can be downloaded for free on the App Store and Google Play Store for iOS and Android devices.
The software can detect with an easy calibration the three planes to detect the movement of the gait.
Before proceeding with the calibration, the smartphone can be placed and fixed with a band or stowed into a long sock with its top edge at the height of the joint line, in the medial side of the tibia.
The calibration consists in bending the knee about 20 to 30 degrees and then making a rotation movement, leaving the heel fixed to the ground as a rotation fulcrum.
After calibration, the program records data related to lateral flexion, rotation, and bending of the leg.
This data can be viewed directly from the smartphone screen or transmitted via a web link to the Step Holter web page www.stepholter.com by scanning a personal QR code.
The web page allows the users to monitor the test during its execution or view data for tests done previously.
By pressing the play button, it is possible to see a simulation of the patient's leg and its movement.
With the analyze button, the program is capable of calculating the swing and stance phase of every single step, providing a plot with time and percentages.
Finally, with the Get Excel button, test data can be conveniently exported for more in-depth research.
The advantage of this application is not only to reduce the costs of a machine for the study of gait analysis but also being able to perform tests quickly, without expensive hardware or software and be used in specific spaces, without specialized personnel.
Furthermore, the application can collect important data concerning rotation that cannot be highlighted with the classic gait analysis.
The versatility of a smartphone allows tests to be carried out not only during walking but also by climbing or descending stairs or sitting down or getting up from a chair.
This software offers the possibility to easily study any kind of patients; Older patients, reluctant to leave their homes for a gait analysis can be tested at home or during an office control visit.
Step Holter could be one small step for patients, one giant leap for gait study simplicity.
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