Objective Clinical Measurement Tools for Functional Evaluation of the Surgical Patient

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Traditional knee surgery outcome assessments rely on subjective visual or time-based methods, which are error-prone and fail to capture movement inefficiencies.
• Existing objective kinematic measurement systems are costly and limited in scope, hindering comprehensive patient evaluation.
• There is a growing need for affordable, precise rehabilitation tools to enhance clinical assessment of movement tasks post-surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and discuss the applications of two novel, low-cost precision rehabilitation tools: the Mizzou Point-of-Care Assessment System (MPASS) and the Mizzou Knee Arthrometer Testing System (MKATS).
• To highlight how these systems can improve the objective measurement of movement quality in patients following knee surgery.

Main Methods:

• The Mizzou Point-of-Care Assessment System (MPASS) was validated against the gold-standard Vicon system for measuring kinematics during sit-to-stand, lateral step-down, drop vertical jump, and gait tasks.
• The Mizzou Knee Arthrometer Testing System (MKATS) was utilized to quantify differences in tibiofemoral motion during various functional tasks like lateral step-down and step-up/step-down.

Main Results:

• MPASS demonstrated high agreement with Vicon for kinematics in sit-to-stand (R > 0.71), drop vertical jump (ICC > 0.62), and gait (R > 0.87), with good agreement for lateral step-down (ICC > 0.55).
• MKATS successfully quantified inter-group differences in tibiofemoral motion during key functional movements.
• Both systems provide objective, portable, and cost-effective alternatives to current assessment methods.

Conclusions:

• The MPASS and MKATS offer valuable, objective, and low-cost solutions for assessing lower extremity movement quality after knee surgery.
• These tools can assist clinicians in identifying detrimental movement patterns and asymmetries, enabling targeted rehabilitation planning and progress monitoring.
• Implementing these systems can lead to improved patient outcomes and potentially reduce the risk of secondary knee damage and pain.