Age-Related Cognitive Bias in the Assessment of Lateral Pinch Modulation by Occupational Therapists.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive bias may appear in occupational therapists' interpretation of physical examinations. Since different strategies for decision making have been shown to reduce bias, its quantification is an essential first step towards awareness and bias reduction. Our aims: (1) quantify cognitive bias by testing the differences in occupational therapists' assessment of lateral pinch force modulation between young and older adults, and between women and men; and (2) to test for a correlation between the tendency to bypass an intuitive response and the degree of cognitive bias. METHODS: Occupational therapists (n = 37; age 40.3 ± 11.4 years) used a visual analogue scale to rate pre-recorded simulations of the digital output of lateral pinch modulation videos of different levels of abilities coupled with videos of young/old men/woman pressing the force sensor. They filled out the Cognitive Reflection Test and the Rational-Experiential Inventory-40. RESULTS: Subjects showed higher bias towards old individuals compared to young ones (p < 0.001), but with no sex bias (p = 0.119). Rational ability correlated with cognitive bias of assessment of lateral pinch modulation in old individuals (r = 0.537, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Occupational therapists might underestimate the physical abilities of older adults. Biased evaluation might cause assignment of redundant exercises and therefore loss of time, effort, and resources.

Cushioned Footwear Effect on Pain and Gait Characteristics of Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Double-Blinded 3 Month Intervention Study.

One of the recommendations for individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the use of specific footwear, such as sturdy or cushioned shoes. However, the long-term use effects of using cushioned shoes on the pain and spatiotemporal gait parameters in individuals with knee OA are yet to be reported. We therefore aimed to compare the efficacy of cushioned sport footwear versus sham shoes on motor functions, pain and gait characteristics of individuals with knee OA who used the shoes for 3 months. In a double-blinded study, we provided 26 individuals with knee OA with cushioned sport shoes and 12 individuals with knee OA with similar sport shoes without cushioning for 3 months. The gait analysis, the timed up and go (TUG) test and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) were conducted and the pain levels were measured at the baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after the baseline. We found that the cushioned shoes reduce the amount of pain (based on WOMAC) in the affected knee and increase functionality in the research group, but not in the control group. Gait velocity and cadence were increased in both groups. Gait spatiotemporal parameters and their symmetry were unaffected during the intervention. We conclude that the use of cushioned shoes should be recommended to individuals with knee OA for alleviating pain.

Upper Limb Kinematics of Handwriting among Children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder.

Background: Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) often experience difficulties with handwriting legibility and speed. This study investigates the relationship between handwriting and upper limb kinematics to characterize movement patterns of children with DCD and typically developing (TD) children. Methods: 30 children with and without DCD matched for age, gender, and parent education were compared across handwriting abilities using a standardized handwriting assessment of both copied and dictated tasks (A-A Handwriting). The 3D motion capture system (Qualysis) was used to analyze upper limb kinematics and characterize movement patterns during handwriting and contrasted with written output. Results: Children with DCD wrote fewer legible letters in both copying and dictation. Children with DCD also showed poor automatization of key writing concepts. Atypical wrist postures were associated with reduced legibility for children with DCD (F (1,27) 4.71, p = 0.04, p-η2 = 0.15); whereas for TD children, better legibility was associated with greater variations in movement speed, particularly of the wrist (rho = −0.578, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Results reflect different movement parameters influencing handwriting in children with DCD. An improved understanding of the movement characteristics during handwriting of these children may assist intervention design.

Establishing the Validity of the Internet-Based Bill-Paying Task to Assess Executive Function Deficits Among Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury.

IMPORTANCE: Executive function (EF) deficits are common after traumatic brain injury (TBI). During rehabilitation, it is important to identify EF deficits and understand their impact on daily function. The internet-based Bill-Paying Task, modified from the Executive Function Performance Test, has not yet been validated for use with people with TBI. OBJECTIVE: To examine the known-groups, convergent, and ecological validity of the internet-based Bill-Paying Task for assessing EF deficits after TBI. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study with two consecutive parts based on the study's objectives. SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation and community. PARTICIPANTS: Part 1 included 42 adults with TBI and 47 healthy adults; Part 2 included 28 of the 42 adults with TBI. MEASURES: Assessments included the Internet-based Bill-Paying Task, WebNeuro neurocognitive computerized battery, Semantic Verbal Fluency test, Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS), Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX), and cognitive items of the FIM® and the Functional Assessment Measure (cognitive FIM+FAM). RESULTS: For Part 1, participants with TBI required significantly more cues and longer completion time to perform the internet-based Bill-Paying Task. For Part 2, moderate significant correlations were found between the internet-based Bill-Paying Task total score and the WebNeuro, Semantic Verbal Fluency test, BADS, DEX, and cognitive FIM+FAM. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study supports the known-groups, convergent, and ecological validity of the internet-based Bill-Paying Task for assessing EF deficits among adults with preserved basic cognitive abilities after TBI. Therefore, it can be used to assist with rehabilitation treatment planning after TBI. What This Article Adds: The internet-based Bill-Paying Task, an online payment task relevant to today's technological world, is valid to assess higher cognitive abilities of people after a traumatic brain injury. This assessment may contribute to a better understanding of patients' cognitive profiles and their potential impact on daily performance.

Home exercise in the dart-throwing motion plane after distal radius fractures: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: During daily functions, our wrist moves through an oblique plane, named the dart-throwing motion (DTM) plane. This plane is considered a more stable plane because the proximal carpal row remains relatively immobile. However, rehabilitation programs that incorporate exercising in the DTM plane have yet to be explored. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rehabilitation outcomes after treatment in the DTM plane compared with outcomes after treatment in the sagittal plane after distal radius fracture. STUDY DESIGN: This is a pilot randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Subjects after open reduction internal fixation were assigned into a research group (N = 12; ages 48.7 ± 7.3) and a control group (N = 12; ages 50.8 ± 15). The control group activated the wrist in the sagittal plane, whereas the research group activated the wrist in the DTM plane. Range of motion, pain levels, functional hand motor skills tests, and satisfaction from self-training exercise were measured before and after a 12-session intervention. RESULTS: The outcome measures were similar between the treatment groups. The research group reported significantly higher satisfaction rates than the control group on topics such as general satisfaction (research group: 3.4 ± 0.7, control group: 2. 5 ± 1.2, P = .030), motivation to exert oneself (research group: 2.8 ± 1.0, control group: 2.3 ± 1.2, P = .009), progressed function (research group: 3.4 ± 0.7, control group: 2.4 ± 1.1, P = .012), and self-training contribution to the daily function (research group: 3.4 ± 0.7, control group: 2.5 ± 1.2, P = .030). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Pilot results do not favor one treatment method over the other. However, exercising in the DTM plane may contribute to the satisfaction of the client and increase self-training motivation.

An Instrumented Assessment of a Rhythmic Finger Task among Children with Motor Coordination Difficulties.

BACKGROUND: Coordination is crucial for motor function, yet objective clinical evaluations are limited. We therefore developed and tested the reliability and validity of a low-cost sensorized evaluation of a rhythmic finger task. METHODS: Children with coordination difficulties (n = 24) and typically developing children (n = 24) aged from 5 to 7 years performed the Sensorized Finger Sequencing Test (SFST), a finger sequencing test that records the correct sequence, total time, and the standard deviation (SD) of touch time. Additionally, motor performance tests and parents' reports were applied in order to test the reliability and validity of the SFST. RESULTS: The study group had significantly greater thumb-finger test scores-total time in the dominant hand (p = 0.035) and the SD of the touch time in both dominant (p = 0.036) and non-dominant (p = 0.032) hands. Motor performance tests were not correlated with the SFST. Test-retest reliability in 10 healthy children was found for the SD of touch time in the dominant hand (r = 0.87, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The SFST was successful in assessing the movement pattern variability reported in children with motor difficulties. This exploratory study indicates that the low-cost SFST could be utilized as an objective measure for the assessment of proprioception components, which currently are overlooked by standardized motor performance assessments.

Variability of Coordination in Typically Developing Children Versus Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder with and without Rhythmic Signal.

Motor coordination deficit is a cardinal feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Theevaluation of coordination of children with ASD is either lengthy, subjective (via observationalanalysis), or requires cumbersome post analysis. We therefore aimed to use tri-axial accelerometersto compare inter-limb coordination measures between typically developed (TD) children and childrenASD, while jumping with and without a rhythmic signal. Children aged 5-6 years were recruited tothe ASD group (n = 9) and the TD group (n = 19). Four sensors were strapped to their ankles and wristand they performed at least eight consecutive jumping jacks twice: at a self-selected rhythm and witha metronome. The primary outcome measures were the timing lag (TL), the timing difference of themaximal acceleration of the left and right limbs, and the lag variability (LV), the variation of TL acrossthe 5 jumps. The LV of the legs of children with ASD was higher compared to the LV of the legs of TDchildren during self-selected rhythm jumping (p < 0.01). Additionally, the LV of the arms of childrenwith ASD, jumping with the rhythmic signal, was higher compared to that of the TD children (p <0.05). There were no between-group differences in the TL parameter. Our preliminary findingssuggest that the simple protocol presented in this study might allow an objective and accuratequantification of the intra-subject variability of children with ASD via actigraphy.

Automated 3D-printed finger orthosis versus manual orthosis preparation by occupational therapy students: Preparation time, product weight, and user satisfaction.

STUDY DESIGN: Intra-subject cross-sectional study. INTRODUCTION: Upper limb injuries often require wearing an orthosis. Today, orthoses are custom-made by the clinician or purchased as an off-shelf product. Although 3D printing is a popular solution, the design and adjustment of an orthosis model according to patient-specific anatomy requires technical expertise, often unavailable to the clinicians. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: (1) To create a software that receives input of anatomic dimensions of the finger and automatically adjusts an orthosis model for patient-specific 3D printing and (2) to compare preparation time, product weight, and user satisfaction of occupational therapy students between the manual method and the automatic 3D printing method. METHODS: A custom code allows the user to measure five anatomic measurements of the finger. The code adjusts a swan-neck orthosis model according to the patient-specific measurements, and a fitted resized 3D-printable file is produced. We recruited 36 occupational therapy students (age 25.4 ± 1.9 years). They prepared two swan-neck orthoses for a finger of a rubber mannequin: one manually using a thermoplastic material and the other by 3D printing. The preparation time and orthosis weight were measured, and the subjects filled out a user satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: The weight of the 3D-printed orthosis was significantly lower than that of the manual orthosis; however, the preparation time was longer. The subjects were more satisfied with the fit, esthetics, overall process, and product of the 3D-printed orthosis. CONCLUSION: The creation of an automated software for the patient-specific adjustment of orthoses for 3D printing can be the missing link for integration of 3D printing in the clinics.

Myoelectric Prosthesis Users Improve Performance Time and Accuracy Using Vibrotactile Feedback When Visual Feedback Is Disturbed.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of adding vibrotactile feedback (VTF) in myoelectric prosthesis users during performance of a functional task when visual feedback is disturbed. DESIGN: A repeated-measures design with a counter-balanced order of 3 conditions. SETTING: Laboratory setting. PARTICIPANTS: Transradial amputees using a myoelectric prosthesis with normal or corrected eyesight (N=12, median age 65±13y). Exclusion criteria were orthopedic or neurologic problems. INTERVENTIONS: All participants performed the modified Box and Blocks Test, grasping and manipulating 16 blocks over a partition using their myoelectric prosthesis. This was performed 3 times: in full light, in a dark room without VTF, and in a dark room with VTF. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Performance time, that is, the time needed to transfer 1 block, and accuracy during performance, measured by number of empty grips, empty transitions with no block and block drops from the hand. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in all outcome measures when VTF was added, with improved performance time (4.2 vs 5.3s) and a reduced number of grasping errors (3.0 vs 6.5 empty grips, 1.5 vs 4 empty transitions, 2.0 vs 4.5 block drops). CONCLUSIONS: Adding VTF to myoelectric prosthesis users has positive effects on performance time and accuracy when visual feedback is disturbed.

Evaluation of the effects of adding vibrotactile feedback to myoelectric prosthesis users on performance and visual attention in a dual-task paradigm.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of adding vibrotactile feedback to myoelectric prosthesis users on the performance time and visual attention in a dual-task paradigm. DESIGN: A repeated-measures design with a counterbalanced order of two conditions. SETTING: Laboratory setting. SUBJECTS: Transradial amputees using a myoelectric prosthesis with normal or corrected eyesight ( N = 12, median age = 65 ± 13 years). Exclusion criteria were orthopedic or neurologic problems. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects performed grasping tasks with their prosthesis, while controlling a virtual car on a road with their intact hand. The dual task was performed twice: with and without vibrotactile feedback. MAIN MEASURES: Performance time of each of the grasping tasks and gaze behavior, measured by the number of times the subjects shifted their gaze toward their hand, the relative time they applied their attention to the screen, and percentage of error in the secondary task. RESULTS: The mean performance time was significantly shorter ( P = 0.024) when using vibrotactile feedback (93.2 ± 9.6 seconds) compared with the performance time measured when vibrotactile feedback was not available (107.8 ± 20.3 seconds). No significant differences were found between the two conditions in the number of times the gaze shifted from the screen to the hand, in the time the subjects applied their attention to the screen, and in the time the virtual car was off-road, as a percentage of the total game time (51.4 ± 15.7 and 50.2 ± 19.5, respectively). CONCLUSION: Adding vibrotactile feedback improved performance time during grasping in a dual-task paradigm. Prosthesis users may use vibrotactile feedback to perform better during daily tasks, when multiple cognitive demands are present.

Development of Internet-Based Tasks for the Executive Function Performance Test.

OBJECTIVE: The Executive Function Performance Test (EFPT) is a reliable and valid performance-based tool to assess executive functions (EFs). This study's objective was to develop and verify two Internet-based tasks for the EFPT. METHOD: A cross-sectional study assessed the alternate-form reliability of the Internet-based bill-paying and telephone-use tasks in healthy adults and people with subacute stroke (Study 1). It also sought to establish the tasks' criterion reliability for assessing EF deficits by correlating performance with that on the Trail Making Test in five groups: healthy young adults, healthy older adults, people with subacute stroke, people with chronic stroke, and young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Study 2). RESULTS: The alternative-form reliability and initial construct validity for the Internet-based bill-paying task were verified. Criterion validity was established for both tasks. CONCLUSION: The Internet-based tasks are comparable to the original EFPT tasks and can be used for assessment of EF deficits.

Wrist Plane of Motion and Range During Daily Activities.

OBJECTIVE: The dart-throwing motion (DTM) is a multiplane wrist motion that is needed for many daily occupations. Mobilization along the DTM plane may be essential for rehabilitation after wrist injury, but DTM angles are reported for the dominant hand alone, so their relevance to injury in the nondominant hand cannot be surmised. The aim of this study was to quantify the DTM plane angles for both hands during different activities of daily living (ADLs). METHOD: Forty-three healthy participants wore a twin-axis electrogoniometer during ADLs. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the DTM plane angles of the dominant (20°-45°) and nondominant (15°-40°) hands. These angles varied by task and across participants. CONCLUSION: The DTM plane is a functional motion used by both hands during ADLs. Because the DTM plane angle differs among hands, tasks, and individual clients, wrist rehabilitation involving the DTM plane should not be limited to a singular DTM plane angle.

Graphical Product Quality and Muscle Activity in Children With Mild Disabilities Drawing on a Horizontally or Vertically Oriented Tablet.

OBJECTIVE: We compared performance level and muscle activity patterns during shape copying and tracing in two positions, while sitting at a desk and while standing in front of a wall, between typically developing (TD) preschool children and children with mild disabilities (MD). METHOD: Twenty-two TD children (8 boys, 14 girls; mean [M] age = 5.2 yr, standard deviation [SD] = 0.1) and 13 children with MD (9 boys, 4 girls; M age = 4.9 yr, SD = 0.5) participated in this study. RESULTS: The children performed faster and smoother movements when copying shapes on the vertical surface, with no reduction of accuracy, than on the horizontal surface. Children with MD exerted their upper trapezius while performing the short tasks on the vertical surface compared with their muscle activity on the horizontal surface. CONCLUSION: Incorporating short copying or drawing tasks on a vertical surface may increase the control of proximal muscles and ease graphomotor performance in children with MD.

The Association Between Visual Assessment of Quality of Movement and Three-Dimensional Analysis of Pelvis, Hip, and Knee Kinematics During a Lateral Step Down Test.

Rabin, A, Portnoy, S, and Kozol, Z. The association between visual assessment of quality of movement and three-dimensional analysis of pelvis, hip, and knee kinematics during a lateral step down test. J Strength Cond Res 30(11): 3204-3211, 2016-Altered movement patterns including contralateral pelvic drop, increased hip adduction, knee abduction, and external rotation have been previously implicated in several lower extremity pathologies. Although various methods exist for assessing movement patterns, real-time visual observation is the most readily available method. The purpose of this study was to determine whether differing visual ratings of trunk, pelvis, and knee alignment, as well as overall quality of movement, are associated with differences in 3-dimensional trunk, pelvis, hip, or knee kinematics during a lateral step down test. Trunk, pelvis, and knee alignment of 30 healthy participants performing the lateral step down were visually rated as "good" or "faulty" based on previously established criteria. An additional categorization of overall quality of movement as either good or moderate was performed based on the aggregate score of each individual rating criterion. Three-dimensional motion analysis of trunk, pelvis, hip, and knee kinematics was simultaneously performed. A faulty pelvis alignment displayed a greater peak contralateral pelvic drop (effect size [ES], 1.65; p < 0.01) and a greater peak hip adduction (ES: 1.04, p = 0.01) compared with participants with a good pelvis alignment. Participants with a faulty knee alignment displayed greater peak knee external rotation compared with participants with a good knee alignment (ES, 0.78; p = 0.02). Participants with an overall moderate quality of movement displayed increased peak contralateral pelvic drop (ES, 1.07; p = 0.01) and peak knee external rotation (ES, 0.72; p = 0.04) compared with those with an overall good quality of movement. Visual rating of quality of movement during a lateral step down test, as performed by an experienced physical therapist, is associated with differences in several kinematics previously implicated in various pathologies.

Correlations between body postures and musculoskeletal pain in guitar players.

BACKGROUND: The guitar-playing community is the largest group at risk of developing playing related musculoskeletal disorders. A thorough investigation of the relationships between the various risk factors and players' report on musculoskeletal pain using objective and accurate means of assessment has yet to be reported. PURPOSE: (a) to explore the correlations between demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, playing habits, and personal habits of guitar player and their complaints of musculoskeletal pain, (b) explore the correlations between the upper body kinematics of guitar players during playing the guitar and their complaints of musculoskeletal pain, and (c) compare the upper body kinematics of guitar players during playing the guitar while sitting versus standing. METHODS: Twenty-five guitar players (27.5±4.6 years old) filled out questionnaires regarding their guitar-playing habits, and the Standardized Nordic Questionnaires for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. Kinematics of their torso and upper limbs were tracked while they played a tune twice, once while sitting and once while standing. RESULTS: We found moderate correlations between the number of painful joints in the last year and factors, such as physical comfort while playing, years of playing, and position during playing. During standing, lower back pain severity correlated with the rotation range of the torso, while during sitting, it moderately correlated with the average radial-ulnar deviation of the right wrist. During sitting, we found higher anterior and right tilt of the torso, combined with greater abduction of the right shoulder, higher flexion in the left shoulder and higher radial deviation in the left wrist. CONCLUSION: Our results point to several risk factors, related both to playing habits but also to playing posture, which should be considered by the guitar players in order to prevent playing-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Correlations between Electro-Diagnostic Findings, the Severity of Initial Infection, and the Rehabilitation Outcomes among COVID-19 Patients.

Patients with Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) manifest many neuromuscular complications. We evaluated the correlations between electromyography and nerve conduction measurements among COVID-19 patients and the severity of the initial infection, as well as the rehabilitation outcomes, and searched for the factors which best predict the rehabilitation outcomes. A total of 19 COVID-19 patients (16 men; mean ± SD age 59.1 ± 10.4), with WHO clinical progression scale of 6.8 ± 2.3, received rehabilitation for 3.9 ± 2.5 months. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM), the 10 m walk test, the 6 minute walk test, and grip force were collected before and after the rehabilitation period. Motor Nerve Conduction (MNC), Sensory Nerve Conduction (SNC) and electromyographic abnormalities were measured. All of the MNC measures of the median nerve correlated with the WHO clinical progression scale and duration of acute hospitalization. The MNC and SNC measures correlated with the rehabilitation duration and with FIM at discharge. The MNC distal latency of the median and the peroneal nerves and the MNC velocity of the median and tibial nerves predicted 91.6% of the variance of the motor FIM at discharge. We conclude that nerve conduction measurements, especially in COVID-19 patients with severe illness, are important in order to predict prognosis and rehabilitation outcomes.

Positive Effect of Manipulated Virtual Kinematic Intervention in Individuals with Traumatic Stiff Shoulder: A Pilot Study.

Virtual reality enables the manipulation of a patient's perception, providing additional motivation to real-time biofeedback exercises. We aimed to test the effect of manipulated virtual kinematic intervention on measures of active and passive range of motion (ROM), pain, and disability level in individuals with traumatic stiff shoulder. In a double-blinded study, patients with stiff shoulder following proximal humerus fracture and non-operative treatment were randomly divided into a non-manipulated feedback group (NM-group; n = 6) and a manipulated feedback group (M-group; n = 7). The shoulder ROM, pain, and disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) scores were tested at baseline and after 6 sessions, during which the subjects performed shoulder flexion and abduction in front of a graphic visualization of the shoulder angle. The biofeedback provided to the NM-group was the actual shoulder angle while the feedback provided to the M-group was manipulated so that 10° were constantly subtracted from the actual angle detected by the motion capture system. The M-group showed greater improvement in the active flexion ROM (p = 0.046) and DASH scores (p = 0.022). While both groups improved following the real-time virtual feedback intervention, the manipulated intervention provided to the M-group was more beneficial in individuals with traumatic stiff shoulder and should be further tested in other populations with orthopedic injuries.

Functional electrical stimulation compared with ankle-foot orthosis in subacute post stroke patients with foot drop: A pilot study.

Background: The conventional treatment for foot drop includes an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) or functional electrical stimulation (FES). Goal: To compare gait parameters in patients following a subacute post stroke with foot drop treated with AFO or FES. Method: Twenty one subacute patients with stroke with foot drop were fitted with FES (N = 10) or AFO (N = 11). Evaluations were performed at baseline, following 4 weeks and 12 weeks. Spatiotemporal gait parameters and symmetry, dynamic electromyography, 10-m walk test, 6-min walk test, timed up and go, functional ambulation classification, and perception of improvement in walking were measured. The gait analysis measures were collected without the assistive devices while the functional measures were collected with them. Results: Both groups showed improvement in all of the outcome measures, with no between-groups differences. The swing duration's and step length's symmetry indicated better gait symmetry in the FES group after 12 weeks (p = 0.037, effect size = -0.538 and p = 0.028 effect size = -0.568, respectively). The FES group perceived significant improvement in gait after 4 weeks, while subjects in the AFO group reported to perceive improvement only after 12 weeks. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that FES is at least as effective as traditional AFO and may be more so.

Evaluating Lower Limb Kinematics Using Microsoft's Kinect: A Simple, Novel Method.

Purpose: Our aim was to evaluate the Microsoft Kinect sensor (MKS) as a markerless system for motion capture and analysis of lower limb motion, compare it with a state-of-the-art marker-based system (MBS), and investigate its accuracy in simultaneously capturing several lower limb joint movements on several planes while participants walked freely. Method: Participants were asked to walk while gait data were simultaneously recorded by both the MKS and the MBS. Software for analysing the Kinect data stream was developed using Microsoft Visual Studio and Kinect for Windows software development kits. Visual three-dimensional (3D) C-Motion software was used to calculate 3D joint angles of the MBS. Deviation of the joint angles calculated by the two systems was calculated using root-mean-square error (RMSE) on the basis of a designated formula. Results: The calculated RMSE average was <5° between the two systems, a level of difference that has practically no clinical significance. Conclusions: Quantitative measurements of the joint angles of the knee and hip can be acquired using one MKS with some accuracy. The system can be advantageous for clinical use, at the pre- and post-treatment stages of rehabilitation, at significantly lower costs. Further evaluation of the MKS should be performed with larger study populations.

Objectif : évaluer le capteur Kinect de Microsoft (CKM), un système sans marqueur de capture des mouvements et d'analyse des mouvements des membres inférieurs, par rapport à un système de marqueur (SDM) de pointe et en étudier la précision pour capter simultanément plusieurs mouvements des membres inférieurs sur divers plans, pendant une période de marche libre des sujets. Méthodologie : les participants ont été invités à marcher pendant que les données sur la démarche étaient enregistrées dans les systèmes de CKM et de SDM. Le logiciel pour analyser les données du CKM a été mis au point au moyen de l'outil Microsoft Visual Studio de la trousse de développement logiciel de Kinect pour Windows. Le logiciel Visual3D (C-Motion) a été utilisé pour calculer les angles tridimensionnels de l'articulation du SDM. L'écart-type des angles de l'articulation calculés par les deux systèmes a été obtenu au moyen de l'erreur quadratique moyenne (EQM) d'après une formule préétablie. Résultats : la moyenne de l'EQM était inférieure à cinq degrés entre les deux systèmes, soit une différence qui n'a pratiquement aucune signification clinique. Conclusion : on peut obtenir les mesures quantitatives des angles de l'articulation du genou et de la hanche avec une certaine précision au moyen d'un CKM. Ce système peut être avantageux pour un usage clinique avant et après la réadaptation, à un coût peu élevé. L'évaluation du capteur Kinect devrait être poursuivie dans le cadre d'une étude auprès de populations plus vastes.

Falls in Post-Polio Patients: Prevalence and Risk Factors.

Individuals with post-polio syndrome (PPS) suffer from falls and secondary damage. AIM: To (i) analyze the correlation between spatio-temporal gait data and fall measures (fear and frequency of falls) and to (ii) test whether the gait parameters are predictors of fall measures in PPS patients. METHODS: Spatio-temporal gait data of 50 individuals with PPS (25 males; age 65.9 ± 8.0) were acquired during gait and while performing the Timed Up-and-Go test. Subjects filled the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC Scale) and reported number of falls during the past year. RESULTS: ABC scores and number of falls correlated with the Timed Up-and-Go, and gait cadence and velocity. The number of falls also correlated with the swing duration symmetry index and the step length variability. Four gait variability parameters explained 33.2% of the variance of the report of falls (p = 0.006). The gait velocity was the best predictor of the ABC score and explained 24.8% of its variance (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Gait variability, easily measured by wearables or pressure-sensing mats, is an important predictor of falls in PPS population. Therefore, gait variability might be an efficient tool before devising a patient-specific fall prevention program for the PPS patient.