There is increasing interest in wearable sensor technology as a tool for rehabilitation applications in community or home environments. Recent studies have focused on evaluating inertial based sensing (accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.) that provide only indirect measures of joint motion. Measurement of joint kinematics using flexible goniometry is more direct, and still popular in laboratory environments, but has received little attention as a potential tool for wearable systems. The aim of this study was to compare two goniometric devices: a traditional strain-gauge flexible goniometer, and a fiberoptic flexible goniometer, for measuring dynamic knee flexion/extension angles during activity of daily living: chair rise, and gait; and exercise: deep knee bends, against joint angles computed from a “gold standard” Vicon motion tracking system. Six young adults were recruited to perform the above activities in the lab while wearing a goniometer on each knee, and reflective markers for motion tracking. Kinematic data were collected simultaneously from the goniometers (one on each leg) and the motion tracking system (both legs). The results indicate that both goniometers were within 2–5 degrees of the Vicon angles for gait and chair rise. For some deep knee bend trials, disagreement with Vicon angles exceeded ten degrees for both devices. We conclude that both goniometers can record ADL knee movement faithfully and accurately, but should be carefully considered when high (>120 deg) knee flexion angles are required.
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August 2012
Technical Briefs
Comparison of Strain-Gage and Fiber-Optic Goniometry for Measuring Knee Kinematics During Activities of Daily Living and Exercise
Abeer A. Mohamed,
Abeer A. Mohamed
Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Brunswick
, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
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Jennifer Baba,
Jennifer Baba
Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Brunswick
, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
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James Beyea,
James Beyea
Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Faculty of Kinesiology, University of New Brunswick
, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
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John Landry,
John Landry
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton
, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
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Andrew Sexton,
Andrew Sexton
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton
, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
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Chris A. McGibbon
Chris A. McGibbon
Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Faculty of Kinesiology,
e-mail: cmcgibb@unb.ca
University of New Brunswick
, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
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Abeer A. Mohamed
Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Brunswick
, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
Jennifer Baba
Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Brunswick
, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
James Beyea
Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Faculty of Kinesiology, University of New Brunswick
, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
John Landry
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton
, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
Andrew Sexton
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton
, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
Chris A. McGibbon
Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Faculty of Kinesiology,
University of New Brunswick
, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3 Canada
e-mail: cmcgibb@unb.ca
J Biomech Eng. Aug 2012, 134(8): 084502 (6 pages)
Published Online: August 6, 2012
Article history
Received:
December 19, 2011
Revised:
June 1, 2012
Accepted:
June 1, 2012
Posted:
July 6, 2012
Published:
August 6, 2012
Online:
August 6, 2012
Citation
Mohamed, A. A., Baba, J., Beyea, J., Landry, J., Sexton, A., and McGibbon, C. A. (August 6, 2012). "Comparison of Strain-Gage and Fiber-Optic Goniometry for Measuring Knee Kinematics During Activities of Daily Living and Exercise." ASME. J Biomech Eng. August 2012; 134(8): 084502. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4007094
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