A System to Quantify Upper Limb Function

Abstract

<p>Peripheral nerve damage in the upper extremity can reduce a person's range of motion, and must be immediately repaired. Post operative recovery must include a therapy program, and the assessment of motor function to ensure adequate rehabilitation. Traditional assessments are qualitative, and can lead to inaccuracies in the evaluation process. Nerve injuries in the upper limb are prevalent in pediatric patients, which further increases the difficultly in providing an accurate assessment. A device that would allow clinicians to qualitatively assess a pediatric patient's range of motion using accelerometry, particularly the ability to pronate and supinate the forearm, would improve the accuracy and reliability of evaluating rehabilitation. The theory, hardware and software design, and experimental results of this instrumentation system are presented.</p>