Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 19, 2025
06:09
Measuring 3D In-vivo Shoulder Kinematics using Biplanar Videoradiography
Published on: March 12, 2021
3.4K
Practicability of a Virtual Consultation to Evaluate the Shoulder Joint
Martin Gathen1, Davide Cucchi1, Tom Jansen1
1Clinic for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Bonn, Germany.
Zeitschrift Fur Orthopadie Und Unfallchirurgie
|September 20, 2021
Summary
Digital consultations for shoulder disorders show promise, correlating well with in-person exams for mobility and function. However, contactless assessments have limitations, especially for stability, and cannot fully replace in-person evaluations.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Trauma Surgery
- Digital Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated innovative healthcare delivery models.
- Digitization and virtual consultations offer solutions for resource conservation and infection control in orthopaedic and trauma surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe and critically examine non-contact physical examinations for patients with shoulder disorders.
- To evaluate the feasibility of virtual consultations for shoulder pathologies.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 30 patients with shoulder joint pathologies.
- Conventional and contactless physical examinations were performed.
- Data on mobility, function, and provocation tests were collected and compared.
Main Results:
- High correlation (70-90%) in mobility assessment between conventional and contactless methods.
- Contactless performance of common rotator cuff and biceps tests was adequate in over 75% of patients, albeit with low-to-moderate values.
- No significant differences in medical history and functional tests between the two consultation types.
Conclusions:
- Contactless examination is less advantageous for assessing shoulder stability.
- Virtual consultations are a valuable addition but cannot fully replace in-person examinations for definitive assessment and treatment indication.
