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Updated: Sep 21, 2025
Kinematic Analysis Using 3D Motion Capture of Drinking Task in People With and Without Upper-extremity Impairments
Published on: March 28, 2018
An international survey mapping practice and barriers for upper-limb assessments in movement analysis
Fraser Philp1, Robert Freeman2, Caroline Stewart3
1School of Health Sciences, University of Liverpool, L69 3GB, UK.
Background:
Upper-limb movement analysis could improve our understanding of function, pathological mechanisms and inform rehabilitation and surgical decision-making. Despite the potential benefits, the use of clinical upper-limb motion analysis is not well established and it is not clear what the barriers to clinical motion analysis are.
Research Question:
What is current practice for assessment of the upper-limb and what are the barriers currently limiting upper-limb motion analysis being routinely used in clinical practice?
Methods:
A web-based questionnaire was used to collect responses through international professional movement analysis society coordinators over an 18 month-period.
Results:
A total of 55 responses were received and 75% of laboratories performed some form of upper-limb assessment. In total 44% of laboratories performed upper-limb assessments for clinical purposes and only 33% did 3D-movement analysis. The most commonly seen patient groups were those with neurological injury e.g. cerebral palsy (adults and children) and normal controls for comparative purposes. Barriers to upper-limb motion analysis were the availability of standard reference tasks, protocols, software, funding and clinical need. Practice was variable with no universally identified approaches to upper-limb movement analysis. Differences in practice were also identified between laboratories accredited by the Clinical Movement Analysis Society of the UK and Ireland and other international professional societies and affiliate laboratories.
Significance:
These findings may be used to inform the development of practice standards and progress the use of clinical motion analysis in the upper-limb. This study provides a summary and describes current practice, potentially providing access to peer support and experience for laboratories with an identified clinical need looking to conduct upper-limb assessment. A national picture (UK and Ireland) for practice regarding upper-limb assessment in this sub-population is presented. We have laid out further work which is needed to establish standards of practice or consensus initiatives for enhancing clinical upper-limb motion analysis.
