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Updated: Apr 29, 2026
An Objective and Child-friendly Assessment of Arm Function by Using a 3-D Sensor
Published on: February 12, 2018
Reachable workspace in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) by Kinect
Jay J Han1, Gregorij Kurillo, Richard T Abresch
1University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 4860 Y Street, Suite 3850, Sacramento, California, 95817, USA.
Introduction:
A depth-ranging sensor (Kinect) based upper extremity motion analysis system was applied to determine the spectrum of reachable workspace encountered in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).
Methods:
Reachable workspaces were obtained from 22 individuals with FSHD and 24 age- and height-matched healthy controls. To allow comparison, total and quadrant reachable workspace relative surface areas (RSAs) were obtained by normalizing the acquired reachable workspace by each individual's arm length.
Results:
Significantly contracted reachable workspace and reduced RSAs were noted for the FSHD cohort compared with controls (0.473 ± 0.188 vs. 0.747 ± 0.082; P < 0.0001). With worsening upper extremity function as categorized by the FSHD evaluation subscale II + III, the upper quadrant RSAs decreased progressively, while the lower quadrant RSAs were relatively preserved. There were no side-to-side differences in reachable workspace based on hand-dominance.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates the feasibility and potential of using an innovative Kinect-based reachable workspace outcome measure in FSHD.
