Biomechanics beyond the lab: Remote technology for osteoarthritis patient data-A scoping review.
Rebecca I Hamilton, Jenny Williams, Cathy Holt
PMID 36451804WHAT IT FOUND
Most remote biomechanics tools for osteoarthritis are only partially remote and require specialist setup, not true home use.
Inertial measurement units are the most common validated technology, but lack of standardised placement methods limits data comparison across studies.
Key findings
01Only 9% of the identified technologies were classified as fully remote, while 68% were part-remote and 23% portable.
02Inertial measurement units (IMUs) were the most prominent technology type found, but all required expert support for placement or connectivity, making them unsuitable for long-term unassisted home data collection.
03There is a lack of consensus on standardised measures and IMU positioning, which decreases the ability to compare and share data across different research groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Most of the included studies did not test the technology on an actual osteoarthritis population, meaning validity in the target group is not fully established. The review excluded non-English papers, which may have missed relevant technological developments. There was no assessment of intra-operator reliability for most studies, which is critical for remote use by patients. The review did not analyse the economic factors, battery life, or data harvesting ease, which are practical barriers to clinical implementation.
Declared interests
The authors are part of the OATech Network+, a collaborative UK-based research network developing technology solutions for osteoarthritis. The review protocol was revised by members of this network's operations group.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high number of validated technologies as evidence that remote osteoarthritis monitoring is clinically ready for widespread adoption. The review explicitly states that most tools are only 'part-remote' and require specialist support, and many were validated on healthy populations rather than osteoarthritis patients.