Date of Award

Fall 12-2020

Degree Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

School

Kinesiology and Nutrition

Committee Chair

Dr. Nuno Oliveira

Committee Chair School

Kinesiology and Nutrition

Committee Member 2

Dr. Paul Donahue

Committee Member 2 School

Kinesiology and Nutrition

Committee Member 3

Dr. Zhanxin Sha

Committee Member 3 School

Kinesiology and Nutrition

Abstract

Technological advances regarding Inertial Measurements Units (IMUs) have positioned this type of sensor as an alternative for camera-based motion capture. This study introduces a new IMU based system (IMUsys) to measure hip and knee flexion angles. PURPOSE: To validate the use of a five-sensor IMUsys for the measurement of knee and hip flexion angles during gait in adults and pediatrics at two different time points. METHODS: Bilateral hip and knee flexion patterns (LH, RH, LK, and RK) of twenty-two healthy participants (12 adults and 10 pediatric) between the ages of 8 – 35 years were investigated. Participants performed two 1-min gait trials on a treadmill at self-selected speeds at two different time points. Data were analyzed using linear regression coefficients, the root mean square error (RMSE), the mean absolute error (MAE), and Bland & Altman plots. RESULTS: A strong relationship (r2> 0.94) between the IMUsys and the camera-based system was found across all condition. RMSEs [LH < 10°, RH < 10°, LK > 10°, RK > 10°] were found across all condition. Repeatability coefficients [LH ≤ 5°, RH ≤ 5°, LK > 10°, RK < 10°] were found across all condition. CONCLUSION: The validity of the IMUsys was maintained across age groups with different segment proportion, and during prolonged use. However, the large errors observed for knee flexion measurements should be considered when using the IMUsys.

Download

Share

COinS