ProtoKinetics is proud to introduce the
instrumented Four Square Step Test (iFSST)
to take the FSST analysis to a new level!
The Four Square Step Test (FSST)
was developed by Dite and Temple in 2002 to view rapid stepping while changing directions. The test requires stepping forward, right, back and left while stepping over an obstacle in a specified sequence. In the past decades, this test has become a common clinical assessment, used in a variety of patient populations. The primary outcome measure, duration, has been tied to fall risk with established cut-off times published in literature.
The iFSST provides quantitative data
on multidirectional stepping performance of the FSST beyond duration. ProtoKinetics Motion Analysis Software footfall labeling allows for automated capture and reporting of data involving weight shifting, extra steps, timing in each quadrant and timing transitioning between quadrants. This data can illuminate difficulties in specific movement preparation and directional stepping that are not available from duration alone.
Initial use of the iFSST has already led
to peer-reviewed publications.
Research out of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center compared data from PD, MS, Stroke and Community Dwelling populations and found that the iFSST “provides a quick and feasible method for detecting quantitative performance details regarding preparation for and performance on transitions.” Find the article here.
Collaborative work between ProtoKinetics and the University of South Florida
used the iFSST to look at performance of adults with transfemoral amputation. Gouelle and Highsmith state that “the iFSST is particularly suitable to effectively assess dynamic balance abilities because the task involves components of balance which are not incorporated in standard clinical measurements.” Find the article here.
Visit the ProtoKinetics’ Gait and Balance Academy for our Q&A session with the authors!
The iFSST can be done on any 4’ wide Zeno Walkway System. Just place appropriate cross-bars on the mat and begin collecting data. A 4’x4’ Zeno Walkway system can be used in conjunction with a 2’ wide Zeno System, allowing for gait, balance and multidirectional stepping protocols to be collected with ease.
Contact us to learn more about integrating the iFSST into your work with PKMAS!
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Havertown, PA 19083 USA