Functional Mobility Studies in Younger Adults: Instrumented Timed Up and Go (iTUG) Test Using Inertial Devices.

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Kinesiology
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Functional Mobility Assessment (FMA) is crucial for evaluating patient health.
• Sensor-based interventions, like the instrumented Timed Up and Go test (iTUG), offer superior assessment compared to traditional clinical tests.
• Understanding the variability of iTUG parameters in healthy populations is essential for establishing reliable benchmarks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the variability of selected parameters during the instrumented Timed Up and Go test (iTUG) in healthy young adults.
• To assess the reliability and objectivity of sensor-based functional mobility assessments using inertial measurements.
• To determine if iTUG parameters can serve as normative benchmarks for healthy adults.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 73 healthy young adults (37 female, 36 male) participated.
• The Noraxon MyoMotion Research 18 motion analysis system was utilized to capture spatial data during the iTUG.
• Key gait and kinematic variables were recorded and analyzed for variability.

Main Results:

• The mean total iTUG completion time was 13.1 ± 1.9 seconds, demonstrating low variability (low coefficient of variation).
• Most spatial, temporal, and kinematic parameters exhibited low variability, indicating consistent performance.
• A notable exception was the mean double support ratio, which showed very high variability (CV of 271.5%).

Conclusions:

• The iTUG test provides reliable, objective, and reproducible measurements for functional mobility.
• Low variability in parameters like total time and percentage of posture supports its use as a benchmark.
• The iTUG test, utilizing inertial measurements, is a valuable tool for assessing functional mobility in healthy adults.