Postural stability assessment and orthotics

The assessment of postural control is critical to a more accurate understanding of balance disorders. However, despite the extensive and interdisciplinary research, postural stability still has limited clinical applications because of the complex interactions among the body systems that controls balance. This article presents an overview of recent signal analysis and modeling techniques of postural control with clinical application in orthotics management and assessment. The center of mass (COM) and the center of pressure (COP) metrics have been shown to be suitable measures of body sway and its control strategies. The quantification and analysis of these variables is described for ankle inversion/eversion and ankle plantar/dorsiflexion control mechanisms.