Preliminary Validity and Acceptability of Motion Tape for Measuring Low Back Movement: Mixed Methods Study.
Audrey Lee, Elijah Wyckoff, Emilia Farcas and 7 others
PMID 39093610WHAT IT FOUND
A flexible tape sensor tracked healthy young adults' low back movement well when the skin stretched, but failed during compression and end-range flexion.
Users liked its comfort but found the wires and self-application difficult. It is not yet ready for clinical use.
Key findings
01The sensor correlated moderately to highly with motion capture during lateral bending and rotation, but showed poor to moderate correlation during extension and high failure rates during flexion.
02All participants found the tape secure and comfortable, but 70% disliked the wiring and chest band, and many struggled to apply it to their own back.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 10 young, healthy university students with no history of low back pain, so the results do not apply to patients with pain, stiffness, or different body types. The testing was done in a controlled laboratory, not in the home or workplace where the device is intended to be used. The sensor struggled with compression and end-range movements, which are common in daily life and clinical assessment. The device had a wired design that participants found restrictive and difficult to manage.
Declared interests
One author is a cofounder of JAK Labs Inc, a company that intends to commercialize this Motion Tape technology for physical therapy.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high correlations in lateral bending and rotation as evidence that this device works for all low back movements. It failed to accurately measure extension and lost data during flexion, and it has only been tested in healthy young adults, not in patients with low back pain.