Reliability, accuracy, and minimal detectable difference of a mixed concept marker set for finger kinematic...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human Motion Analysis
• Prosthetics and Orthotics

Background:

• Accurate finger joint data is crucial for studying finger biomechanics.
• Improved understanding of finger kinematics aids prosthesis design and clinical interventions.
• A reliable marker set is needed to evaluate finger postures during activities of daily living.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of the Warwick marker set for capturing finger kinematics.
• To assess the marker set's suitability for analyzing activities of daily living.
• To determine the intra- and inter-session reliability of the proposed marker set.

Main Methods:

• Twelve participants were tested across two sessions using the Warwick marker set.
• Marker clusters were applied to fingers, with calibration via a custom palpation technique.
• Participants performed range of motion movements and object grasps.

Main Results:

• Intra- and inter-session reliability ranged from poor to excellent.
• Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) and Minimal Detectable Difference (MDD) were lower for intra-session tasks.
• Potential sources of reduced reliability include skin artifacts and marker placement variability.

Conclusions:

• The Warwick marker set shows potential for assessing finger postures and analyzing activities of daily living.
• The marker set is most promising for use within single-session tests.
• Further refinement may be needed to address reliability challenges for multi-session applications.