Characterization of normative angular joint kinematics during two functional upper limb tasks
Background: Optical motion capture is a powerful tool for assessing upper body kinematics, including compensatory movements, in different populations. However, the lack of a standardized protocol with clear functional relevance hinders its clinical acceptance.
Research question: The objective of this study was to use motion capture to: (1) characterize angular joint kinematics in a normative population performing two complex, yet standardized upper limb tasks with clear
functional relevance; and (2) assess the protocol’s intra-rater reliability.
Methods: Twenty non-disabled adults performed the previously developed Pasta Box Task and Cup Transfer
Task. The kinematics of the upper body were captured using an optoelectronic motion capture system and rigid
plates with reflective markers. Angular joint trajectories, peak angle, range of motion (RoM), and peak angular
velocity were extracted for the trunk, shoulder, elbow, forearm, and wrist. Intra-class correlation was used to
assess the intra-rater reliability of the kinematic measures.
Results: Both tasks required minimal trunk motion. Cross-body movements required greater RoM at the trunk,
shoulder, and elbow joints compared to movements in front of the body. Reaches to objects further away from
the body required greater trunk and elbow joint RoM compared to reaches to objects closer to the body.
Transporting the box of pasta required the wrist to maintain an extended position. The two different grasp
patterns in the Cup Transfer Task forced the wrist into a flexed and ulnar-deviated position for the near cup, and
an extended and radial-deviated position for the far cup. For both tasks, the majority of measures displayed intraclass correlation values above 0.75, indicating good reliability.
Significance: Our protocol and functional tasks elicit a degree of movement sensitivity that is not available in
current clinical assessments. Our study also provides a comprehensive dataset that can serve as a normative
benchmark for quantifying movement compensations following impairment.
Citation
A. Valevicius,
Q. Boser,
E. Lavoie,
C. Chapman,
P. Pilarski,
J. Hebert,
A. Vette.
"Characterization of normative angular joint kinematics during two functional upper limb tasks". Gait & Posture, 69, pp 176–186, March 2020.
| Keywords: |
Activities of daily living, Functional tasks, Motion capture, Normative data, Outcome measures, Upper body kinematics |
| Category: |
In Journal |
| Web Links: |
Journal |
BibTeX
@article{Valevicius+al:20,
author = {Aida M. Valevicius and Quinn A. Boser and Ewen B. Lavoie and Craig
S. Chapman and Patrick M. Pilarski and Jacqueline S. Hebert and Albert H.
Vette},
title = {Characterization of normative angular joint kinematics during two
functional upper limb tasks},
Volume = "69",
Pages = {176–186},
journal = {Gait & Posture},
year = 2020,
}Last Updated: November 10, 2020
Submitted by Sabina P 
