Ηand dexterities assessment in stroke patients based on augmented reality and machine learning through a box and block test.

A popular and widely suggested measure for assessing unilateral hand motor skills in stroke patients is the box and block test (BBT). Our study aimed to create an augmented reality enhanced version of the BBT (AR-BBT) and evaluate its correlation to the original BBT for stroke patients. Following G-power analysis, clinical examination, and inclusion-exclusion criteria, 31 stroke patients were included in this study. AR-BBT was developed using the Open Source Computer Vision Library (OpenCV). The MediaPipe's hand tracking library uses a palm and a hand landmark machine learning model to detect and track hands. A computer and a depth camera were employed in the clinical evaluation of AR-BBT following the principles of traditional BBT. A strong correlation was achieved between the number of blocks moved in the BBT and the AR-BBT on the hemiplegic side (Pearson correlation = 0.918) and a positive statistically significant correlation (p = 0.000008). The conventional BBT is currently the preferred assessment method. However, our approach offers an advantage, as it suggests that an AR-BBT solution could remotely monitor the assessment of a home-based rehabilitation program and provide additional hand kinematic information for hand dexterities in AR environment conditions. Furthermore, it employs minimal hardware equipment.

Inter-Rater and Test-Retest Reliability of an Innovative Evaluation Tool: CrossFit Functional Assessment Battery of Tests for the Shoulder Joint.

Background and objectives This study aims to introduce an innovative functional assessment tool designed for CrossFit athletes, to identify a high risk of injury at the shoulder joint. Additionally, the study seeks to examine both inter-rater reliability, which was tested in 40 CrossFit participants, and test-retest reliability, which was assessed in twenty subjects. Methodology CrossFit Functional Assessment Battery for the Shoulder Joint (CrossFit FABS) is a newly created instrument presented for the first time. The evaluation of the performance of its six items aimed to reveal deficits that could contribute to incidents of shoulder injuries. For this purpose, 40 healthy CrossFit participants were concurrently but independently examined by two raters, and twenty healthy adults active in sports were assessed by the main investigator at two different time points. Cohen's kappa coefficient was used to analyze categorical data with an ordinal structure. Results Inter-rater reliability ranged from 0.824 to 1 (P = 0.000) and test-retest reliability was 0.661 to 0.906 (P < 0.001) for each test of CrossFit FABS. A strong to almost perfect correlation was demonstrated for all the variables between the two examiners. Moderate to almost perfect correlation was shown through test-retest procedures. Conclusions The proposed test battery was established as a reliable tool for evaluating performance routines that represent high injury-risk elements for the shoulder joint in CrossFit athletes.

Lumbar Kinematics Assessment of Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain in Three Bridge Tests Using Miniaturized Sensors.

Lumbar muscle atrophy, diminished strength, stamina, and increased fatigability have been associated with chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP). When evaluating patients with LBP, trunk or core stability, provided by the performance and coordination of trunk muscles, appears to be essential. Several clinical tests have been developed to identify deficiencies in trunk performance, demonstrating high levels of validity and reproducibility. The most frequently prescribed tests for assessing the core body muscles are the prone plank bridge test (PBT), the side bridge test (SBT), and the supine bridge test (SUBT). However, quantitative assessments of the kinematics of the lumbar spine during their execution have not yet been conducted. The purpose of our study was to provide objective biomechanical data for the assessment of LBP patients. The lumbar spine ranges of motion of 22 healthy subjects (Group A) and 25 patients diagnosed with chronic LBP (Group B) were measured using two inertial measurement units during the execution of the PBT, SUBT, and SBT. Statistically significant differences between the two groups were found in all three tests' kinematic patterns. This quantitative assessment of lumbar spine motion transforms the three bridge tests into an objective biomechanical diagnostic tool for LPBs that may be used to assess the efficacy of applied rehabilitation programs.