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Instrumented assessment of shoulder function: A study of inertial sensor based methods
Luckshman Bavan1, Jonathan Wood1, Karl Surmacz2
1Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Botnar Research Centre, Old Road, Oxford OX3 7LD, United Kingdom.
Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)
|January 1, 2020
Summary
Inertial sensors show promise for assessing shoulder function in patients with subacromial pain. These metrics demonstrate good reliability, validity, and responsiveness to physiotherapy, complementing current assessment methods.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Medical instrumentation
- Orthopedics
Background:
- Inertial sensors offer objective and practical methods for assessing joint and limb function in clinical settings.
- Subacromial shoulder pain affects a significant portion of the population, necessitating reliable assessment tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the psychometric properties of inertial sensor metrics for assessing patients with subacromial shoulder pain.
- To determine the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of these novel metrics.
Main Methods:
- 25 patients with subacromial shoulder pain and 50 controls underwent inertial sensor assessments.
- Metrics included smoothness, speed, and power derived from angular velocity and acceleration profiles.
- Assessments were repeated post-physiotherapy to evaluate responsiveness.
Main Results:
- Inertial sensor scores demonstrated good inter-rater reliability (ICC=0.48-0.82) and ability to differentiate between healthy and pathological shoulders (AUC=0.62-0.91).
- Scores showed significant improvement after physiotherapy, with large effect sizes (Cohen's d=0.8-1.35) for acceleration and velocity profiles.
- These metrics correlated well with the Oxford Shoulder Score (r=-0.40 to -0.58).
Conclusions:
- Inertial sensor metrics possess favorable psychometric properties for assessing subacromial shoulder pain.
- These sensors have the potential to enhance current clinical and research assessment methods.
- Further research is needed to optimize interpretation and fully establish clinical relevance.
