An Inexpensive and Easy to Use Cervical Range of Motion Measurement Solution Using Inertial Sensors

Rafael Raya, Rodrigo Garcia-Carmona, Cristina Sanchez, Eloy Urendes, Oscar Ramirez, Alvaro Martin, Abraham Otero, Rafael Raya, Rodrigo Garcia-Carmona, Cristina Sanchez, Eloy Urendes, Oscar Ramirez, Alvaro Martin, Abraham Otero

Abstract

Neck injuries and the related pain have a high prevalence and represent an important health problem. To properly diagnose and treat them, practitioners need an accurate system for measuring Cervical Range Of Motion (CROM). This article describes the development and validation of an inexpensive, small (4 cm × 4 cm × 8 cm), light (< 200 g) and easy to use solution for measuring CROM using wearable inertial sensors. The proposed solution has been designed with the clinical practice in mind, after consulting with practitioners. It is composed of: (a) two wearable wireless MEMS-based inertial devices, (b) a recording and report generation software application and (c) a measurement protocol for assessing CROM. The solution provides accurate (none of our results is outside the ROM ranges when compared with previously published results based on an optical tracking device) and reliable measurements (ICC = 0.93 for interrater reliability when compared with an optical tracking device and ICC > 0.90 for test-retest reliability), surpassing the popular CROM instrument's capabilities and precision. It also fulfills the needs for clinical practice attending to effectiveness, efficiency (4 min from setup to final report) and user's satisfaction (as reported by practitioners). The solution has been certified for mass-production and use in medical environments.

Keywords: CROM; assessment; diagnosis; inertial sensor; neck pain; wearable sensor.

Conflict of interest statement

Raya R. is the CEO of Werium Solutions; Urendes E. is a shareholder of Werium Solutions; Ramirez O. works at Werium Solutions. The other authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cervical motions.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Complete solution overview.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Sensor block diagram.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Sensor with the forehead strap.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Sample CROM report.
Figure 6
Figure 6
(a) Placement diagram; (b) Actual placement.

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