Giagiozis Melina, Imhof Sabrina, Achermann Sibylle, Jutzeler Catherine R, Demkó László, Zörner Björn
Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland.
Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST), ETH Zurich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
Sensors (Basel). 2025 Jun 25;25(13):3950. doi: 10.3390/s25133950.
Spinal cord injuries (SCI) often result in impaired motor functions. To quantify these impairments, swimming patterns were analyzed in individuals with SCI. Water provides a unique rehabilitation environment where buoyancy supports weight-bearing activities and can reveal deficits that might otherwise go unnoticed. Data were collected of 30 individuals with chronic, motor-incomplete SCI and 20 healthy controls during breaststroke swimming on a kickboard. Using eight wearable inertial sensors attached to the lower limbs, we captured detailed kinematic data. Spatiotemporal parameters were then calculated and compared between the two groups to assess differences in swimming patterns. An analysis of the parameters revealed significant differences in velocity ( < 0.001, ε = 0.476) and distance per stroke ( < 0.001, ε = 0.516), indicating decreased swimming speeds in individuals with SCI compared to controls. Furthermore, individuals with SCI demonstrated a reduced range of motion (RoM) in the ankle ( = 0.003, ε = 0.516) and knee joints ( = 0.041, ε = 0.142). The limited RoM likely contributes to the shorter distance covered per stroke. These observations underscore the impact of SCI on functional capabilities. The developed algorithm holds promise for enhancing the assessment of motor deficits after neurological injuries.
脊髓损伤（SCI）常常导致运动功能受损。为了量化这些损伤，对脊髓损伤患者的游泳模式进行了分析。水提供了一个独特的康复环境，浮力支持负重活动，并且能够揭示一些可能在其他情况下被忽视的缺陷。在使用踢水板进行蛙泳时，收集了30名慢性运动不完全性脊髓损伤患者和20名健康对照者的数据。通过将八个可穿戴惯性传感器附着在下肢，我们获取了详细的运动学数据。然后计算并比较两组之间的时空参数，以评估游泳模式的差异。对这些参数的分析显示，速度（<0.001，ε=0.476）和每划距离（<0.001，ε=0.516）存在显著差异，表明与对照组相比，脊髓损伤患者的游泳速度降低。此外，脊髓损伤患者在踝关节（=0.003，ε=0.516）和膝关节（=0.041，ε=0.142）的活动范围（RoM）减小。活动范围受限可能导致每划距离缩短。这些观察结果强调了脊髓损伤对功能能力的影响。所开发的算法有望加强对神经损伤后运动缺陷的评估。
