Stabilometric Assessment: Implications for the Prescription of Medical Devices

The medical literature defines posture by positioning and orientation of body segments relative to the direction of the gravitational field. Balance encompasses all static and dynamic actions performed by the body as a result of the interaction between postural control mechanisms in order to avoid falling. Maintaining a normal posture is a prerequisite for minimizing internal stress manifested in tissues. Stabilometry studies evolution, under static conditions, of the center of pressure, defined as the origin of the reaction force vector in relation to the support surface. The aging process or diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or pathomechanics, affecting posture by increasing instability and the risk of falls. There is medical evidence that demonstrates the positive effect of medical devices (orthopedic shoes or orthoses) on posture. An important role in prescribing and assessing the influence of medical devices on posture is that of stabilometry, namely assessing posture under static conditions. The article proposes to assess the main stabilometric parameters determined using AccuGait-AMTI force platform and to correlate them with technical characteristics of medical devices.