An Optoelectronic System for Measuring the Range of Motion in Healthy Volunteers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Within the clinical evaluation of multiple pathologies of the lower limb, the measurement of range of motion (ROM) of its joints is fundamental. To this end, there are various tools, from the goniometer as a reference to more recent devices such as inclinometry-based applications, photo capture applications, or motion capture systems. This study aimed to assess the validity, intra-rater, and inter-rater reliability of the VeloFlex system (VS), which is a new camera-based tool designed for tracking joint trajectories and measuring joint ROM. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five healthy volunteers (16 females; aged 18–61 years) participated in this study. All participants were assessed on two separate occasions, one week apart. During the first assessment session, measurements were obtained using a goniometer and the VS, whereas, in the second session, only the VS was used. In each assessment session, nine active movements were examined. For each movement, three trials were tested, and the mean of these three measures was used for analysis. To evaluate the concurrent validity and agreement, the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and Bland-Altmann plots were used. Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were evaluated using intra-class correlation (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and minimal detectable change (MDC). Results: Both devices showed excellent correlations for all movements (r ranged from 0.992 to 0.999). The intra-rater reliability of the VS was excellent (ICC ranged from 0.93 to 0.99), SEMs ranged from 0.53% to 2.61% and the MDC ranged from 0.68° to 3.26°. The inter-rater reliability of the VS was also excellent (ICC ranged from 0.88 to 0.98), SEMs ranged from 0.81% to 4.76% and the MDC ranged from 2.27° to 4.42°. Conclusions: The VS is a valid and reliable tool for the measurement of ROM of lower limb joints in healthy subjects.

Optical Motion Capture Systems for 3D Kinematic Analysis in Patients with Shoulder Disorders

“…OMCs represent a powerful tool in the orthopedic clinical practice, mainly when referring to complex joint movement analysis, such as the shoulder joint [35]. These systems allow investigating the joint kinematics in a precise and accurate manner, obtaining quantitative data on joints kinematics [36]. The careful evaluation of postsurgical joint kinematics could allow assessing surgery outcomes to tailor care according to the patient's characteristics, optimizing postsurgical recovery.…”

“…Even though these systems have not always proved to be suitable in a clinical setting due to their expensiveness and postprocessing analysis, it has been recently shown that they can be more easily used as a reliable measurement tool for shoulder kinematics [36]. The high costs and complexities of experimental setups are outweighed by the impact of these systems in guiding clinical practice and patient follow-up.…”

Validity and reliability of Veloflex to measure active cervical range of motion in asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects

“…Veloflex (Deportec, Murcia, Spain) is an optoelectronic system designed to measure ROM and feedback from it. As previously described in Medina-Mirapeix et al (2019) , VF includes three elements: an infrared camera on a tripod, a laptop, and markers to place on the skin. The camera is placed on the adjustable tripod at a distance of 1–1.5 m from the participant and is located at the height of the joint to be examined.…”

“…Depending on the proximity of the camera to the joint, the accuracy of the system has been reported between 0.1° and 1° ( Peña García-Orea et al, 2018 ). It has been previously validated to assess ROM in joints of the upper and lower limb, showing excellent intra- and inter-examiner reliability ( Medina-Mirapeix et al, 2019 ; Martín-San Agustín et al, 2019 ).…”

Reliability of measurement using Image J for reach distance and movement angles in the functional reach test

“…The sample size was based on recommendations in the literature citing ≥21 participants as the minimum for reliability studies 20) . We also considered a previous study of a camerabased tool designed to track joint trajectories and measure movement angles which calculated the minimum sample size for reliability studies to be 25 participants 21) . We included 13 more participants in our final sample in order to increase the study's power.…”