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Updated: Apr 16, 2026
A Standardized Method for Measurement of Elbow Kinesthesia
Published on: October 10, 2020
Inertial sensors as measurement tools of elbow range of motion in gerontology
G Sacco1, J M Turpin2, A Marteu3
1Memory Center, Claude Pompidou Institut, Department of Geriatrics, University Hospital of Nice, Nice, France ; Centre d'Innovation et d'Usages en Santé (CIU-S), University Hospital of Nice, Cimiez Hospital, Nice, France ; CoBTeK Cognition Behaviour Technology EA 7276, Research Center Edmond and Lily Safra, Nice Sophia-Antipolis University, Nice, France.
Background And Purpose:
Musculoskeletal system deterioration among the aging is a major reason for loss of autonomy and directly affects the quality of life of the elderly. Articular evaluation is part of physiotherapeutic assessment and helps in establishing a precise diagnosis and deciding appropriate therapy. Reference instruments are valid but not easy to use for some joints. The main goal of our study was to determine reliability and intertester reproducibility of the MP-BV, an inertial sensor (the MotionPod(®) [MP]) combined with specific software (BioVal [BV]), for elbow passive range-of-motion measurements in geriatrics.
Methods:
This open, monocentric, randomized study compared inertial sensor to inclinometer in patients hospitalized in an acute, post-acute, and long-term-care gerontology unit.
Results:
Seventy-seven patients (mean age 83.5±6.4 years, sex ratio 1.08 [male/female]) were analyzed. The MP-BV was reliable for each of the three measurements (flexion, pronation, and supination) for 24.3% (CI 95% 13.9-32.8) of the patients. Separately, the percentages of reliable measures were 59.7% (49.2-70.5) for flexion, 68.8% (58.4-79.5) for pronation, and 62.3% (51.2-73.1) for supination. The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.15 (0.07-0.73), 0.46 (0.27-0.98), and 0.50 (0.31-40 0.98) for flexion, pronation, and supination, respectively.
Conclusion:
This study shows the convenience of the MP-BV in terms of ease of use and of export of measured data. However, this instrument seems less reliable and valuable compared to the reference instruments used to measure elbow range of motion in gerontology.
