Validity and reliability of accelerations and orientations measured using wearable sensors during functional activities.

Wearable sensors may enable the assessment of movement in a real-world setting, but they are not yet a standard practice in the analysis of movement due to the unknown accuracy and reliability with respect to different functional activities. Here, we established the concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of accelerations and orientations measured using affordable novel sensors during squats, jumps, walking and stair ambulation. In this observational study, participants underwent three data collection sessions during one day.

Applications of Wearable Technology in a Real-Life Setting in People with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Scoping Review.

With the growing number of people affected by osteoarthritis, wearable technology may enable the provision of care outside a traditional clinical setting and thus transform how healthcare is delivered for this patient group. Here, we mapped the available empirical evidence on the utilization of wearable technology in a real-world setting in people with knee osteoarthritis. From an analysis of 68 studies, we found that the use of accelerometers for physical activity assessment is the most prevalent mode of use of wearable technology in this population.

Minimal shoes improve stability and mobility in persons with a history of falls.

Postural and walking instabilities contribute to falls in older adults. Given that shoes affect human locomotor stability and that visual, cognitive and somatosensory systems deteriorate during aging, we aimed to: (1) compare the effects of footwear type on stability and mobility in persons with a history of falls, and (2) determine whether the effect of footwear type on stability is altered by the absence of visual input or by an additional cognitive load. Thirty participants performed standing and walking trials in three footwear conditions, i.

Minimal footwear improves stability and physical function in middle-aged and older people compared to conventional shoes.

Background: Effects of minimal shoes on stability and physical function in older people are under-researched. No studies have systematically explored effects of a range of minimal footwear features on these factors in older people.

Methods: A within-participant repeated-measures design was used.

Decreased Pain and Improved Dynamic Knee Instability Mediate the Beneficial Effect of Wearing a Soft Knee Brace on Activity Limitations in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis.

Objective: To evaluate whether improvement of proprioception, pain, or dynamic knee instability mediates the effect of wearing a soft knee brace on activity limitations in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: We conducted an analysis of data for 44 patients with knee OA who were enrolled in a laboratory-based trial evaluating the effect of wearing a commercially available soft knee brace. Activity limitations were assessed with the 10-meter walk test and the Get Up and Go test.

The immediate effect of a soft knee brace on dynamic knee instability in persons with knee osteoarthritis.

Objectives: Wearing a soft knee brace has been shown to reduce self-reported knee instability in persons with knee OA. There is a need to assess whether a soft knee brace has a beneficial effect on objectively assessed dynamic knee instability as well. The aims of the study were to evaluate the effect of a soft knee brace on objectively assessed dynamic knee instability and to assess the difference in effect between a non-tight and a tight soft knee brace in persons with knee OA.

The immediate effect of a soft knee brace on pain, activity limitations, self-reported knee instability, and self-reported knee confidence in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Background: We aimed to (i) evaluate the immediate effect of a soft knee brace on pain, activity limitations, self-reported knee instability, and self-reported knee confidence, and (ii) to assess the difference in effect between a non-tight and a tight soft brace in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Forty-four patients with knee OA and self-reported knee instability participated in the single-session, laboratory, experimental study. A within-subject design was used, comparing a soft brace with no brace, and comparing a non-tight with a tight soft brace.

Proprioception mediates the association between systemic inflammation and muscle weakness in patients with knee osteoarthritis: Results from the Amsterdam Osteoarthritis cohort.

Objectives: To determine whether systemic inflammation is associated with poor proprioception; to confirm that systemic inflammation is associated with muscle weakness; and to determine whether poor proprioception mediates the association between systemic inflammation and muscle weakness in knee osteoarthritis.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Subjects: A total of 689 participants with knee osteoarthritis from the Amsterdam Osteoarthritis (AMS-OA) cohort.

Effect of Soft Braces on Pain and Physical Function in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses.

Objectives: To systematically review and synthesize the effects of soft braces on pain and on self-reported and performance-based physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Data Sources: The following electronic databases were searched from inception to April 20, 2016: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and PEDro.

Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized controlled trials (non-RCTs), such as controlled clinical trials, crossover studies, and case-control studies, were included.