Trends and Innovations in Wearable Technology for Motor Rehabilitation, Prediction, and Monitoring: A Comprehensive...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Technology
• Wearable Computing

Background:

• Continuous health promotion systems are vital for decentralized patient care and preventive monitoring.
• Wearable systems are essential for health monitoring but predominantly focus on physiological data, neglecting motor data.
• Musculoskeletal conditions affect 1.71 billion people globally, highlighting the need for advanced monitoring and rehabilitation tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively understand the application of wearable systems in motor rehabilitation, monitoring, and prediction of upper-limb pathologies.
• To analyze existing literature on wearable technologies for upper-limb conditions.
• To identify key components and functionalities of wearables for physiotherapy.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted on the Web of Science database.
• Articles published between 2019 and 2023 containing keywords 'wearable', 'upper limb', and ('rehabilitation' or 'monitor' or 'predict') were selected.
• Included articles were analyzed to explore pathologies, technologies, and their interrelationships.

Main Results:

• Out of 391 identified papers, 148 were included in the final analysis.
• Wearable technologies were categorized by their typology and primary purpose.
• The study identified essential sensory units and actuators used in wearable systems for upper-limb physiotherapy.

Conclusions:

• Wearable systems offer significant potential for upper-limb motor rehabilitation and monitoring.
• Analysis based on treatment methods and targeted pathologies provides insights into current wearable technology applications.
• Further research into motor data integration in wearables can enhance the prediction and management of upper-limb conditions.