Recently,
researchers have considered accelerometer-based measurement
systems as a possible alternative to the expensive and time
consuming laboratory assessments [1,2]. Tri-axial accelerometers,
for example, detect changes in velocity in three orthogonal axes
and are often used to measure accelerations of a reference point
close to the body’s centre of mass (CoM).
Analysing the motion of the CoM can be used as a simplified
concept to look at human locomotion [3]. CoM displacement might
be seen as the result of all forces acting upon the body
[3]. Neurological or musculoskeletal disorders might alter movements
of body segments and thus influence the motion of the CoM
[4]. Based on data measured by a motion capture system, previous
research reported differences in CoM displacement when comparing
normal with pathological gait. Children with myelomeningocele,
for instance, showed an increased lateral and vertical CoM
displacement [5]. Findings of another study investigating gait in
subjects with myelomeningocele indicated that vertical CoM
displacement was related to energy consumption, assessed by the