Trueness and Minimal Detectable Change of Smartphone Inclinometer Measurements of Shoulder Range of Motion | JoVE Visualize

Trueness and Minimal Detectable Change of Smartphone Inclinometer Measurements of Shoulder Range of Motion

Patrick Boissy^1,2, Serigne Diop-Fallou^1,2, Karina Lebel^1,2

¹1 Department of Surgery, Orthopedics Division, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada .

Telemedicine Journal and E-Health : the Official Journal of the American Telemedicine Association|December 3, 2016

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Smart digital inclinometers (SDIs) show accuracy in shoulder external rotation (SER) but should be used cautiously for other shoulder range of motion (ROM) assessments. Further research is needed to validate SDI use across all shoulder movements.

Area of Science:

Biomechanics
Medical device technology
Rehabilitation engineering

Background:

Smart digital inclinometers (SDIs) utilize smartphone sensors for clinical range of motion (ROM) assessment.
Current clinical practice increasingly relies on these devices for range of motion (ROM) evaluations.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the trueness and minimal detectable change (MDC) of shoulder range of motion (SROM) measurements obtained from an SDI.
To compare SDI SROM measurements against a biomechanical gold standard (GS).

Main Methods:

Twenty-five healthy participants performed shoulder flexion (SF), abduction (SA), and external rotation (SER) trials.
SROM was measured using an SDI (iPod Touch) and a 3D optical motion tracking GS.

Main Results:

The mean bias between SDI and GS across all SROM measurements was 3.4°.
Mean absolute differences were 5.8°±3.7° for SF, 8.7°±5.2° for SA, and 1.7°±1.4° for SER.
Minimal detectable change (MDC) values were 1.9° for SF, 2° for SA, and 0.3° for SER.

Conclusions:

Shoulder external rotation (SER) measurements using SDIs demonstrate accuracy and robustness for clinical application.
SROM measurements in other planes require cautious interpretation based on the specific clinical objective and range of motion assessed.