The diagnostic levels of evidence of instrumented devices for measuring viscoelastic joint properties and spasticity; a systematic review.

Background: Many diagnostic robotic devices have been developed to quantify viscoelastic properties and spasticity of patients with upper motor neuron lesions. However, in clinical practice, subjective and nonvalid clinical scales are still commonly used. To understand the limited use of diagnostic robotic devices assessing viscoelastic joint properties and spasticity in clinical practice, we evaluate the diagnostic level of evidence of studies on these devices.