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Objective evaluation of cervical spine mobility after surgery during free-living activity
1Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement (LMAM), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. cyntia.duc@epfl.ch
Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)
|April 13, 2013
Summary
This study introduces a new method using wearable sensors to measure cervical spine mobility during daily activities. Post-surgery patients showed reduced movement amplitude and velocity compared to healthy individuals.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Orthopedics
- Movement Science
Background:
- Traditional cervical spine mobility assessment relies on imposed movements, potentially not reflecting daily life.
- A novel evaluation tool for cervical spine movement during daily activities is proposed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a new method for assessing cervical spine mobility during everyday activities.
- To quantify cervical spine movement in patients after cervical arthrodesis compared to healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Two inertial sensors were used to detect and classify cervical movement (lateral bending, axial rotation, flexion-extension).
- Validation was performed in laboratory settings, followed by a half-day monitoring of 15 post-arthrodesis patients and 9 controls during daily life.
- Movement frequency, amplitude, and velocity were quantified based on posture (static vs. walking).
Main Results:
- The sensor system demonstrated excellent performance in movement detection and classification (sensitivity/specificity >94%).
- Patients exhibited similar movement frequency but significantly lower amplitude and velocity compared to controls (P<0.05).
- Velocity parameters showed larger differences between patients and controls than amplitude parameters.
Conclusions:
- Body-worn inertial sensors provide quantitative and objective evaluation of global cervical spine movement.
- Movement amplitude and velocity during free-living conditions are valuable objective parameters for assessing post-treatment cervical spine mobility.
