Assessment of mobility deficit and treatment efficacy in adhesive capsulitis by measurement of kinematic parameters using IMU sensors

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that wireless IMU sensors can effectively quantify shoulder mobility deficits and monitor treatment progress in patients with adhesive capsulitis, enabling personalized rehabilitation strategies.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of IMU sensors and the ISEO protocol for assessing shoulder kinematics in adhesive capsulitis patients, which was not previously explored.

Findings

IMU sensors can distinguish between patients and healthy controls.

Kinematic parameters improved after physiotherapy sessions.

The approach supports personalized treatment monitoring.

Abstract

There is a growing research interest towards the use of wireless IMU sensors to assess disability, monitor progress and provide feedback to patients on range of motion and movement performance during upper body rehabilitation. The quality of movement in patients with adhesive capsulitis and relative treatment efficacy has not yet been studied using inertial and magnetic sensors. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility to quantitatively evaluate capsulate-related deficit versus healthy controls and to assess treatment efficacy by measurement of shoulder kinematic parameters with ISEO protocol using inertial and magnetic measurement system technology. We enrolled 6 patients with adhesive capsulitis (AC) who underwent the experimental assessment by using a set of wireless IMU sensors at the baseline (T0) and after the 15 one-hour individual sessions of physiotherapy (T1). The range of motion in elevation, abduction and the scapulohumeral rhythm kinematic parameters were extracted from measurements performed in enrolled AC patients and in 7 healthy controls. The results of this preliminary study showed that proposed approach based on measurement of shoulder kinematic parameters with ISEO protocol using IMU wireless sensors can be useful in mobility deficit assessment of patients with adhesive capsulitis, as well as for monitoring of treatment efficacy and its further personalization.