A portable system to measure knee extensor spasticity after spinal cord injury.
Dalia De Santis, Monica A Perez
PMID 38594696WHAT IT FOUND
Two wireless sensors on the thigh and shin measured knee spasticity as accurately as lab cameras in people with spinal cord injury.
The portable system matched clinical scores and held steady across days, offering a cheaper, simpler way to track changes over time.
Key findings
01The portable sensor system showed excellent agreement with the lab-based optical tracking system for measuring knee spasticity in individuals with spinal cord injury.
02Measurements from the portable system correlated strongly with the Modified Ashworth Scale clinical score, confirming it reflects the same underlying spasticity.
03The portable system demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability, suggesting it can accurately detect changes in spasticity following treatment over time.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study only assessed knee extensor spasticity, so results may not apply to other joints like the hip or ankle. In healthy controls, the portable sensors measured the swing angle as slightly larger than the optical system, which could affect baseline comparisons if the same system is not used consistently. Three participants with spinal cord injury only attended one testing session, reducing the sample size for the day-to-day reliability analysis. The test was performed in a semi-supine position; spasticity levels can vary if the patient is sitting upright or lying flat.
Declared interests
Funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use the proposed 80-degree threshold as a standalone diagnostic tool. The study showed that individuals with mild spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale 1 or 1+) often had swing angles above this cutoff, meaning the test may miss low-grade spasticity if used in isolation.