Mobbs Ralph Jasper, Perring Jordan, Raj Suresh Mahendra, Maharaj Monish, Yoong Nicole Kah Mun, Sy Luke Wicent, Fonseka Rannulu Dineth, Natarajan Pragadesh, Choy Wen Jie
Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group (NSURG), Sydney, Australia.
Mhealth. 2022 Jan 20;8:9. doi: 10.21037/mhealth-21-17. eCollection 2022.
Wearable sensors, particularly accelerometers alone or combined with gyroscopes and magnetometers in an inertial measurement unit (IMU), are a logical alternative for gait analysis. While issues with intrusive and complex sensor placement limit practicality of multi-point IMU systems, single-point IMUs could potentially maximize patient compliance and allow inconspicuous monitoring in daily-living. Therefore, this review aimed to examine the validity of single-point IMUs for gait metrics analysis and identify studies employing them for clinical applications.
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Guidelines (PRISMA) were followed utilizing the following databases: PubMed; MEDLINE; EMBASE and Cochrane. Four databases were systematically searched to obtain relevant journal articles focusing on the measurement of gait metrics using single-point IMU sensors.
A total of 90 articles were selected for inclusion. Critical analysis of studies was conducted, and data collected included: sensor type(s); sensor placement; study aim(s); study conclusion(s); gait metrics and methods; and clinical application. Validation research primarily focuses on lower trunk sensors in healthy cohorts. Clinical applications focus on diagnosis and severity assessment, rehabilitation and intervention efficacy and delineating pathological subjects from healthy controls.
This review has demonstrated the validity of single-point IMUs for gait metrics analysis and their ability to assist in clinical scenarios. Further validation for continuous monitoring in daily living scenarios and performance in pathological cohorts is required before commercial and clinical uptake can be expected.
可穿戴传感器，特别是单独的加速度计或与惯性测量单元（IMU）中的陀螺仪和磁力计结合使用的传感器，是步态分析的合理替代方案。虽然侵入性和复杂的传感器放置问题限制了多点IMU系统的实用性，但单点IMU可能会最大限度地提高患者的依从性，并允许在日常生活中进行不引人注意的监测。因此，本综述旨在研究单点IMU用于步态指标分析的有效性，并确定将其用于临床应用的研究。
遵循系统评价和Meta分析的首选报告项目（PRISMA）指南，使用以下数据库：PubMed；MEDLINE；EMBASE和Cochrane。系统检索四个数据库，以获取关注使用单点IMU传感器测量步态指标的相关期刊文章。
共选择90篇文章纳入。对研究进行了批判性分析，收集的数据包括：传感器类型；传感器放置；研究目的；研究结论；步态指标和方法；以及临床应用。验证研究主要集中在健康队列中的下躯干传感器。临床应用集中在诊断和严重程度评估、康复和干预效果以及区分病理受试者与健康对照。
本综述证明了单点IMU用于步态指标分析的有效性及其在临床场景中的辅助能力。在预期商业和临床应用之前，需要对日常生活场景中的连续监测和病理队列中的性能进行进一步验证。
