TY - JOUR
T1 - Inertial Sensor-Based Lower Limb Joint Kinematics
T2 - A Methodological Systematic Review
AU - Weygers, Ive
AU - Kok, Manon
AU - Konings, Marco
AU - Hallez, Hans
AU - De Vroey, Henri
AU - Claeys, Kurt
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - The use of inertial measurement units (IMUs) has gained popularity for the estimation of lower limb kinematics. However, implementations in clinical practice are still lacking. The aim of this review is twofold-to evaluate the methodological requirements for IMU-based joint kinematic estimation to be applicable in a clinical setting, and to suggest future research directions. Studies within the PubMed, Web Of Science and EMBASE databases were screened for eligibility, based on the following inclusion criteria: (1) studies must include a methodological description of how kinematic variables were obtained for the lower limb, (2) kinematic data must have been acquired by means of IMUs, (3) studies must have validated the implemented method against a golden standard reference system. Information on study characteristics, signal processing characteristics and study results was assessed and discussed. This review shows that methods for lower limb joint kinematics are inherently application dependent. Sensor restrictions are generally compensated with biomechanically inspired assumptions and prior information. Awareness of the possible adaptations in the IMU-based kinematic estimates by incorporating such prior information and assumptions is necessary, before drawing clinical decisions. Future research should focus on alternative validation methods, subject-specific IMU-based biomechanical joint models and disturbed movement patterns in real-world settings.
AB - The use of inertial measurement units (IMUs) has gained popularity for the estimation of lower limb kinematics. However, implementations in clinical practice are still lacking. The aim of this review is twofold-to evaluate the methodological requirements for IMU-based joint kinematic estimation to be applicable in a clinical setting, and to suggest future research directions. Studies within the PubMed, Web Of Science and EMBASE databases were screened for eligibility, based on the following inclusion criteria: (1) studies must include a methodological description of how kinematic variables were obtained for the lower limb, (2) kinematic data must have been acquired by means of IMUs, (3) studies must have validated the implemented method against a golden standard reference system. Information on study characteristics, signal processing characteristics and study results was assessed and discussed. This review shows that methods for lower limb joint kinematics are inherently application dependent. Sensor restrictions are generally compensated with biomechanically inspired assumptions and prior information. Awareness of the possible adaptations in the IMU-based kinematic estimates by incorporating such prior information and assumptions is necessary, before drawing clinical decisions. Future research should focus on alternative validation methods, subject-specific IMU-based biomechanical joint models and disturbed movement patterns in real-world settings.
KW - inertial measurement unit
KW - lower quadrant
KW - movement analysis
KW - outside laboratory
KW - sensor fusion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85078688493&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/s20030673
DO - 10.3390/s20030673
M3 - Review article
C2 - 31991862
AN - SCOPUS:85078688493
SN - 1424-8220
VL - 20
JO - Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
JF - Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
IS - 3
M1 - 673
ER -