Upper Limb Movement Measurement Systems for Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Literature Review.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Science
• Movement Science

Background:

• Quantifying upper limb movement quality is vital for cerebral palsy (CP) therapy.
• Existing clinical methods for assessing upper limb range of motion (ROM) in children with CP are available.
• Accurate kinematic and active range of motion (AROM) assessments are essential for effective rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and describe quantitative techniques for assessing upper limb AROM and kinematics in children with CP.
• To review objective upper extremity assessments in children with CP aged 4-18 years.
• To evaluate the potential of novel technologies like wearable sensors and Kinect for CP assessment.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of 14 studies involving objective upper extremity assessments.
• Analysis of techniques including optoelectronic devices, wearable sensors, and Kinect sensors.
• Focus on quantitative assessment of active range of motion (AROM) and kinematics.

Main Results:

• Wearable sensors and Kinect demonstrated potential as complementary quantitative evaluation tools.
• Studies reported increased upper extremity motor function and improved daily task performance.
• Optoelectronic devices were the most frequently used systems for 3D analysis.

Conclusions:

• Wearable sensors and Kinect offer valuable, markerless motion capture for upper limb assessment in CP.
• Standardized joint assessment recommendations, such as those from the ISB, should be adopted for consistency.
• Further research into detailed kinematic models and algorithms is needed for advanced analysis.