A portable system to measure knee extensor spasticity after spinal cord injury

Spasticity, a common issue after spinal cord injury (SCI), lacks good ways to measure it. Current clinical exams have limited reliability, and devices are bulky and expensive. This study introduces a portable system using inertial measurement units (IMUs) to assess knee extensor spasticity during the pendulum test, a method used to assess knee extensor spasticity. The IMU-based system's measurements closely matched those of an optical tracking system, suggesting it's a reliable tool for measuring spasticity after SCI.

• 1
  The IMU-based system showed excellent agreement with the optical tracking system in individuals with SCI (ICC > 0.98) and good agreement in controls (ICC > 0.82).
• 2
  FSA values from the IMU-based system showed excellent test–retest reliability across days in SCI (ICC = 0.93) and good in controls (ICC = 0.87).
• 3
  FSA values measured by both systems were lower in individuals with SCI with spasticity compared to individuals with SCI without spasticity and control subjects.