Automated Camera-Based Estimation of Rehabilitation Criteria Following ACL Reconstruction

TL;DR

This paper presents an automated, camera-based system to assess rehabilitation progress after ACL reconstruction, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional clinician evaluations by estimating leg press metrics with high accuracy.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel markerless, camera-based method for estimating rehabilitation metrics, reducing reliance on expensive equipment and enabling continuous patient monitoring.

Findings

Leg press displacement estimated with 89.7% accuracy.

Force estimation achieved 85.3% accuracy.

Method effectively tracked patient progress over 12 weeks.

Abstract

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction necessitates months of rehabilitation, during which a clinician evaluates whether a patient is ready to return to sports or occupation. Due to their time- and cost-intensive nature, these screenings to assess progress are unavailable to many. This paper introduces an automated, markerless, camera-based method for estimating rehabilitation criteria following ACL reconstruction. To evaluate the performance of this novel technique, data were collected weekly from 12 subjects as they used a leg press over the course of a 12-week rehabilitation period. The proposed camera-based method for estimating displacement and force was compared to encoder and force plate measurements. The leg press displacement and force values were estimated with 89.7% and 85.3% accuracy, respectively. These values were then used to calculate lower-limb symmetry and to track patient progress over time.