Quantification of Postural Sway during Pediatric Physical Therapy using Wearable Inertial Measurement Units

Area of Science:

• Pediatric rehabilitation
• Biomechanics
• Assistive technology

Background:

• Children with early brain injury often have impaired balance and postural control.
• Current rehabilitation focuses on improving postural control, but quantifying intervention dose is difficult.
• Traditional balance assessment tools (force plates, pressure mats) have limited clinical utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an analysis method for inertial sensor data to measure postural sway in children.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using wearable sensors for quantifying postural control during physical therapy.

Main Methods:

• Utilized wearable inertial sensors to collect data on postural sway.
• Developed an analysis method to process sensor data for quantifying balance.
• Collected preliminary data during physical therapy activities.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed analysis method.
• Showed preliminary results indicating the ability to detect changes in postural sway from baseline.
• Highlighted the potential of inertial sensors for objective measurement of postural control.

Conclusions:

• Wearable inertial sensors offer a practical and cost-effective solution for measuring postural control in pediatric populations.
• The presented analysis method shows promise for quantifying rehabilitation progress in children with movement impairments.
• Further development and validation are needed for widespread clinical adoption.