Identifying compensatory movement patterns in the upper extremity using a wearable sensor system.

OBJECTIVE: Movement impairments such as those due to stroke often result in the nervous system adopting atypical movements to compensate for movement deficits. Monitoring these compensatory patterns is critical for improving functional outcomes during rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and validity of a wearable sensor system for detecting compensatory trunk kinematics during activities of daily living.

APPROACH: Participants with no history of neurological impairments performed reaching and manipulation tasks with their upper extremity, and their movements were recorded by a wearable sensor system and validated using a motion capture system. Compensatory movements of the trunk were induced using a brace that limited range of motion at the elbow.

MAIN RESULTS: Our results showed that the elbow brace elicited compensatory movements of the trunk during reaching tasks but not manipulation tasks, and that a wearable sensor system with two sensors could reliably classify compensatory movements (~90% accuracy).

SIGNIFICANCE: These results show the potential of the wearable system to assess and monitor compensatory movements outside of a lab setting.