Assessing the accuracy of partial weight-bearing instruction.

Abstract

A force-monitoring platform was used to ascertain accuracy in following instructions concerning partial weight bearing. Three groups of healthy volunteers were instructed to bear 60 pounds of weight on a foot in one of three ways: on a bathroom scale, against a therapist's hand, or on a force-monitoring platform. The accuracy of each group, tested against platform measures, revealed significantly greater accuracy in the group instructed on the force-monitoring platform.