Academic literature on the topic 'Digital goniometer'

Purpose To determine the reliability of wrist range of motion (WROM) measurements based on digital photographs taken by patients at home compared with traditional measurements done in the office with a goniometer. Methods Sixty-nine postoperative patients were enrolled in this study at least 3 months postoperatively. Active and passive wrist flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation were recorded by one of the two attending surgeons with a 1-degree resolution goniometer at the last postoperative office visit. Patients were provided an illustrated instruction sheet detailing how to take digital photographic images at home in six wrist positions (active and passive flexion/extension, and radial/ulnar deviation). Wrist position was measured from digital images by both the attending surgeons in a randomized, blinded fashion on two separate occasions greater than 2 weeks apart using the same goniometer. Reliability analysis was performed using the intraclass correlation coefficient to assess agreement between clinical and photography-based goniometry, as well as intra- and interobserver agreement. Results Out of 69 enrolled patients, 30 (43%) patients sent digital images. Of the 180 digital photographs, only 9 (5%) were missing or deemed inadequate for WROM measurements. Agreement between clinical and photography-based measurements was “almost perfect” for passive wrist flexion/extension and “substantial” for active wrist flexion/extension and radial/ulnar deviation. Inter- and intraobserver agreement for the attending surgeons was “almost perfect” for all measurements. Discussion This study validates a photography-based goniometry protocol allowing accurate and reliable WROM measurements without direct physician contact. Passive WROM was more accurately measured from photographs than active WROM. This study builds on previous photography-based goniometry literature by validating a protocol in which patients or their families take and submit their own photographs. Clinical Relevance Patient-performed photography-based goniometry represents an alternative to traditional clinical goniometry that could enable longer-term follow-up, overcome travel-related impediments to office visits, improve convenience, and reduce costs for patients.

INTRODUCTION This paper offers empirical evidence of the accuracy of the clinical application of the RateFast Goniometer smartphone app. Using multiple comparative measures and interrater reliability measures, this paper investigates the effective ness of this digital goniometer app for physicians practicing in both the office and in telemedicine clinical settings. METHODS Three experiments were performed to test the reliability of the RateFast Goniometer app. The first involved measuring preset angles to test its accuracy. The second experiment involved measuring randomly drawn angles to determine if switching users has any effect on the results. The last experiment measured shoulder angles (flexion and extension planes) of 53 volunteers to determine the accuracy of the RateFast Goniometer app in both haptic mode (for use in an in -person clinical setting) and camera mode (for use in a telemedicine clinical setting). RESULT In the first experiment, the average difference between measurements was 0.6° and the average standard deviation was 0.3°. In the second experiment, the angles measured with the RateFast goniometer were less than those measured with a protractor, averaging to a difference of 0.9°. In the third experiment, the haptic mode measurements and the camera mode measurements had an average difference of 1.2° and the standard deviation of the difference between haptic and camera measurements was determined to be 4.7° across all volunteers. CONCLUSION In all three experiments, the error rate found using the RateFast Goniometer app which is within the error tolerance according to the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Fifth Edition (AMA Guides), which stipulates that measurements of shoulder angles must be within 10% of one another. The RateFast Goniometer app and similar digital goniometer applications can be used to accurately measure angles in both in -person and telemedicine settings according to the standards of accuracy set forth in the AMA Guides.

Goniometry is the measurement of joint angles with a conventional universal goniometer (UG) or a digital goniometer (DG). The UG is validated for use in dogs and cats. However, it demands both of the user’s hands when measuring. To avoid this, a novel type of DG has been developed, simplifying measurement by offering single-hand usage. The objective of this study is to examine the concurrent validity of the DG. The study consists of measurement with the DG and UG for flexion of the carpus and fetlock on ten horses, and with the DG in flexion and neutral positioning of the fetlock on a sedated horse and corresponding radiographs, intra- and inter-tester reliability and a survey on user-friendliness. The data were analyzed with ANOVA and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), with a significance of p < 0.05. The study showed significant differences in range of motion for the carpus and fetlock joint, a 2–3° difference comparing measurements on a sedated horse with corresponding radiographs, a “fair” to “excellent” inter-tester reliability and a “fair” to “almost perfect” intra-tester reliability, and the DG was easier to use than the UG. In conclusion, the novel DG may serve as a simple tool for measuring joint motion in equine rehabilitation patients.

The accurate assessment of anomalous head posture (AHP) is crucial for diagnosing, treating, and monitoring postural changes in individuals with ocular impairments. This study evaluated the accuracy of a digital goniometer and an iOS-based application by comparing their measurements to a gold-standard motion capture (MoCap) system. Additionally, it assessed cervical range of motion (ROM) limitations in children with AHP versus healthy controls. Fifteen pediatric patients with ocular-origin AHP and 20 age-matched controls participated. Head rotation and inclination were measured using a goniometer, the iOS app, and MoCap under static and dynamic conditions. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (PCC), root mean square error (RMSE), and Bland–Altman plots assessed inter-system agreement, while MoCap analyzed cervical ROM. The results showed strong agreement between the ophthalmological tools and MoCap for head rotation (PCC = 0.86, RMSE = 3.43°) and inclination (PCC = 0.82, RMSE = 5°), with no significant inter-system differences (p > 0.05). AHP patients exhibited reduced head flexion (p < 0.05), suggesting long-term postural adaptations. Digital goniometers and smartphone applications provide accurate, cost-effective AHP assessment alternatives, particularly in resource-limited settings. Future research should expand cohorts and integrate multidisciplinary approaches to refine assessment and treatment strategies.

AbstractBackgroundMost photography-based arc of motion measurements require human assessment and their accuracy depends on the observer.ObjectivesTo develop a digital image processing technique (DIPT) for measuring elbow range of motion (ROM), and to assess its validity and reliability compared with standard methods.MethodsPhysiotherapists performed digital goniometer and inclinometer ROM measurements bilaterally on healthy volunteer elbows. A photographer took digital images of elbows fully extended and fully flexed 3 times using an 8-megapixel smartphone camera. Extension and flexion angles were calculated using the DIPT. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of all methods was assessed using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). A paired Student's t test and Wilcoxon-signed rank test were used to assess systematic bias. A Bland–Altman plot was used to show possible range of difference between the methods.ResultsWe measured 56 elbows from 28 participants. Intra- and inter-rater ICCs of goniometer and inclinometer showed moderate-to-excellent agreement. Mean extension and flexion angles for the DIPT were greater than those for the goniometer and inclinometer measurements (P < 0.05), but the total ROMs were not significantly different (vs goniometer P = 0.32, vs inclinometer P = 0.53). Limits of agreement were 9.93°–10.05° for extension angle, 9.81°–11.7° for flexion angle, and 13.84°–15.99° for total ROMs.ConclusionsElbow ROM measurement using the current DIPT produces results comparable with goniometer and inclinometer measurements, but the difference from the standard methods was up to 15.99° for total ROM.

BACKGROUND: Distal radius fractures are common injuries in South Africa. Accurate and decisive radiographic parameter interpretation is key in appropriate management. Digital radiographic facilities are rare in the public setting and goniometer usage is low; thus, visual estimates are the primary form of radiographic assessment. Previous research has associated orthopaedic experience with accuracy of distal radius fracture parameter estimation, but often, doctors treating orthopaedic patients are not experienced in orthopaedics. Differences in radiographic visual estimation accuracy between different experience levels of orthopaedic doctors has yet to be explored in this setting. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire including four distal radius fracture radiographs was administered to 149 orthopaedic doctors at three teaching hospitals. Participants were grouped into ranks of consultants (n = 36), registrars (n = 41), medical officers (n = 20) and interns (n = 52). Participants estimated values of distal radius fracture parameters visually, stated whether they would accept the position of the fractures, and stated their percentage of routine usage of goniometers in real practice. RESULTS: The registrar group was most accurate in visually estimating radial height (p = 0.024), while the consultant, registrar and medical officer groups were equally accurate in estimating radial inclination. The consultant and registrar groups were equally accurate at estimating volar tilt, while the medical officer and intern groups were least accurate (p < 0.001). The intern group was also the least accurate in estimating radial height and radial inclination (p < 0.001). The Gwet's AC1 agreement was 0.161 (p = 0.047) for acceptance of the position of the first radiograph, 0.877 (p < 0.001) for the second, 0.888 (p < 0.001) for the third, and 0.806 (p < 0.001) for the fourth. All groups showed no difference in goniometer usage, using them largely in 0-25% of practice (p = 0.194). CONCLUSION: Accuracy of visual estimations of distal radius fracture parameters was associated with orthopaedic experience but not with inter-rater agreement on acceptability of fracture position, nor with routine goniometer usage level. Visual estimates do not match the accuracy of gold-standard goniometer or digital measurements, regardless of orthopaedic experience level.

Based on the literature review and clinical experiences, it can be concluded that measuring the amplitude of movement is one of the fundamental kinesiometric methods used in assessing joint functionality. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of measuring the shoulder joint's range of motion using the digital system KEMTAI compared to a goniometer with arms. This non-experimental observation was conducted on 40 participants whose flexion range in the shoulder joint was measured using both the goniometer with arms and the KEMTAI software system, which utilizes the examiner's mobile phone camera. The results indicated that the lowest mean value was obtained during the first measurement session (M1 = 154.68), while the highest was during the third session (M2 = 156.53). When using the KEMTAI software, the variability of mean values for the total tested population was significantly higher than when using the goniometer with arms. The results suggest that the KEMTAI software/system is reliable when comparing the average results of three measurements. Based on these findings, it is concluded that three experienced measurers demonstrated high reliability in measuring the shoulder joint's flexion range using the goniometer with arms. Despite the identified differences between the measurement results obtained using these two methods, it is considered that the KEMTAI software/system is applicable in practical work.

Syfte och frågeställningar: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka reliabiliteten och validiteten hos en digital goniometer (DGA: Angela, Meloq©) vid mätning av rörelseomfånget vid aktiv och passiv flexion och extension i knäleden. Frågeställningarna var: ”Hur reliabel är DGA vid upprepade mätningar av knäledens rörelseomfång avseende aktiv och passiv flexion och extension?” och ”Hur valid är DGA vid mätning av rörelseomfånget vid aktiv och passiv flexion och extension i knäleden?”. Metod: Reliabiliteten hos DGA utvärderades genom ett test-retest förfarande och validiteten utvärderades genom att vid ett och samma tillfälle genomföra mätningar med DGA och en traditionell goniometer (TG), där TG ansågs som Golden Standard. Arton individer, 9 kvinnor och 9 män, mellan 19-73år rekryterades till studien. Totalt 36 knäleder utvärderades med TG och DGA genom mätning av knäledens ROM i sagittalplanet. Mätningarna genomfördes på höger och vänster ben i standardiserad ordning med början i höger ben: aktiv flexion, passiv flexion, aktiv extension, passiv extension. Varje rörelseriktning mättes fyra gånger. Första mätningen gjordes med DGA, andra mätningen med DGA + TG och sista mätningen med DGA. Testledaren var blindad för mätningarna med DGA. Mätningarna var standardiserade genom placering av markörer vid anatomiska referenspunkter och fotpositionen, samt en standardiserad avståndsberäkning mellan trochanter major och fibula. Resultat: Studiens resultat uppvisade en god reliabilitet för DGA vid mätning av ROM vid aktiv och passiv flexion (ICC 0,887 respektive ICC 0,898), samt vid passiv extension i knäleden (ICC 0,911). Mätningen av ROM vid aktiv extension vara måttligt reliabel (ICC 0,599). Mätningen av flexion var mer reliabel än extension och den passiva rörelsen var mera reliabelt än den aktiva rörelsen. Validiteten hos DGA var mycket hög vid mätning av ROM vid aktiv och passiv flexion (r = 0,969 respektive r = 0,97), och måttlig till hög vid mätning av ROM vid aktiv och passiv extension (r= 0,751 respektive 0,892). Slutsats: Studiens resultat visade att DGA har en god reliabilitet och validitet vid mätning av aktiv och passiv flexion i knäleden. Reliabiliteten och validiteten visade sig vara sämre vid mätning av extension vilket kan bero på upptäckta tekniska fel i DGA och på svårigheten att standardisera mätningarna i extension. Fortsatt forskning krävs för att säkerställa mätinstrumentets reliabilitet och validitet. Vidare bör DGAs inter- och intrabedömarreliabilitet studeras vid mätning av ROM för kroppens olika leder och rörelseriktningar innan DGA kan användas i kliniken.<br>Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of a digital goniometer (DGA: Angela, Meloq ©) measuring active and passive flexion and extension of the knee joint. The following research questions were addressed: 'How reliable is measuring range of motion (ROM) during active and passive flexion and extension of the knee joint with DGA?' and 'How valid is DGA measuring the range of motion at active and passive flexion and extension of the knee joint?'. Method: The reliability was measured with a test-retest procedure while validity was tested through measurements during one occasion with the traditional goniometer (TG) and the DGA, considering TG as the Golden Standard. Eighteen individuals, 9 women and 9 men, between 19-73 years were recruited for the study. A total of 36 knee joints were evaluated with the TG and the DGA by measuring knee joint ROM in sagittal plane. The measurements were performed on both knees, first the right knee, then the left in standardized order: active flexion, passive flexion, active extension, passive extension. Each direction of movement was measured four times: first with the DGA, second with both TG + DGA, and last one with DGA. The test leader was blinded for all measurements with the DGA. The measurements were standardized by placing markers at the anatomical reference points and the foot position, and through a standardized distance calculation between the greater trochanter and the fibula. Results: The study showed good reliability for the DGA in measuring the ROM during active and passive flexion (ICC 0,887 respective ICC 0,898), as well as during passive extension of the knee joint (ICC 0,911). In contrast, the measurement of the ROM during active extension was found to be of moderate reliability. Flexion proved to be more reliable than extension and passive was more accurate than active. The correlation between the DGA and TG was found to be very high in the measurement of the ROM at active/passive flexion (r = 0,969/r = 0,97), and moderate to high when measuring the ROM at active/passive extension (r= 0,751/r = 0,892). Conclusions: The results of this study showed a good reliability and validity for DGA measuring active and passive flexion of the knee joint. The results were not as good measuring extension which may partly be due to detected technical problems of the DGA and partly to the difficulty of standardizing measuring extension. Further research is needed to ensure DGA's reliability and validity. Furthermore, research should be conducted to evaluate the DGA's inter- and intra-rater reliability when measuring the ROM of the body's various joints and movement directions before DGA can be used clinically.

A osteoartrite (OA) é uma doença que afecta que afecta todos os mamíferos, com uma expressão clínica e económica muito importante. No cão, a sua fisiopatologia clínica, médica e terapêutica são muito semelhantes às do Homem, tornando esta espécie num modelo natural de excelência para o estudo da OA no Homem. Associando-se a doença predominantemente ao aparecimento de sinais e sintomas clínicos envolvendo a(s) articulação(ões) afetada(s), o uso de terapêuticas locais administradas por via intra-articular (IA), possibilitam reduzir a quantidade da substância activa a utilizar para obter o efeito médico desejado, assim como os potenciais efeitos sistémicos colaterais. Desde há muito tempo que o uso de corticosteróides e ácido hialurónico têm assumido um papel relevante na terapia IA da OA. Actualmente, terapias inovadoras como o uso de concentrados de plaquetas autologas ou de anabolizantes, como o Estanozolol, têm-se revelado promissoras no controlo local da doença. Contudo, os seus mecanismos de ação não estão ainda totalmente esclarecidos, o que se traduz na dificuldade em obter consenso entre os clínicos para o estabelecimento de protocolos padronizados, fazendo-se assim a sua utilização com base na medicina de evidência resultante da experiência individual do clínico. A monitorização da OA no que respeita à sua evolução e resposta à terapeutica instituída é actualmente monitorizada com o recurso a marcadores de inflamação, técnicas de imagem como a radiografia e termografia digitais, ao estudo e análise da biomecânica do doente em placas ou plataformas de força, que adicionam informação muito importante à colhida durante o exame clínico objectivo do doente. O presente estudo realizado na espécie Canis familiaris com OA na articulação coxofemoral apresenta como principais objetivos: 1) Determinar o efeito de quatro substâncias administradas por via IA no maneio da OA da anca; 2) Avaliar a variação na concentração dos marcadores inflamatórios Proteína C-Reativa (PCR) e Interleucina-1 (IL-1) no líquido sinovial de doentes com OA coxofemoral; 3) Avaliar a relação entre a medicina laboratorial, a medicina de imagem e o exame médico objectivo do doente; 4) Validar o uso da termografia digital e da plataforma de pressão na avaliação da OA; e 5) Delinear um protocolo terapêutico para os doentes com OA coxofemoral utilizando o cão como modelo animal, sob o conceito geral de - Uma Única Saúde (One Health). O estudo foi desenvolvido numa amostra de cem articulações coxo-femorais (N = 100), de doentes com OA de ocorrência natural. A amostra estudada foi dividida aleatoriamente em cinco (5) grupos cada um com vinte (20) articulações, de acordo com o tipo de terapêutica IA administrada. Assim, consideraram-se: grupo de controlo (GC, n=20), grupo de hexacetonido de triancinolona (THG, n=20), grupo de concentrado de plaquetas (Grupo PCG, n=20), grupo de estanozolol (SG, n=20) e o grupo de acido hialurónico - Hylan GF 20 (HG, n=20). Cada doente foi avaliado em nove (9) tempos diferentes ao longo do estudo: dia 0 (dia do tratamento) e dias 8, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 e 180 após tratamento. As avaliações de cada doente e articulação foram realizadas com a análise da biomecânica do doente em plataforma de força, goniometria da articulação (amplitude articular em flexão e extensão), perímetro da coxa, termografia digital, radiografia digital, análise do líquido sinovial e quatro instrumentos de metrologia clínica, nomeadamente: Escala Rápida de Avaliação de Dor Canina (Canine Brief Pain Inventory), Escala de Osteoartite Canina de Liverpool (Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs), Índice Ortopedico Canino (Canine Orthopedic Index) e Escala Analógica Visual de Hudson (Hudson Visual Analogue Scale). O trabalho estatístico dos dados foi realizado com o programa IBM SPSS Statistics version 20. Foram realizados vários testes estatísticos, de acordo com a análise pretendida: teste t de amostras emparelhadas, ANOVA de medidas repetidas, com correcção Huynh-Feldt, ou o teste de Wilcoxon. O teste de Kaplan-Meier, comparado com o teste log-rank, e a regressão de Cox foram conduzidos para avaliar sobrevivência. Todos os resultados obtidos forma considerados como estatisticamente significativos para o valor de P<0,05. Os grupos PCG e HG foram aqueles que registaram melhorias mais significativas e duradouras, de acordo com os resultados da regressão de Cox para as diferentes avaliações realizadas. Considerando as avaliações objectivas, PCH e HG apresentaram uma melhora de 81% e 69%, e de 61% e 57% para os índices de simetria e diminuição de suporte de peso em estação, respetivamente. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, o uso de concentrado de plaquetas autologas e de ácido hialurónico de alta densidade parecem ser os tratamentos preferenciais para a melhoria das alterações registadas nos doentes com OA, melhorando a qualidade de vida dos doentes. Os resultados obtidos permitiram verificar também uma redução no nível da dor nos doentes do grupo THG, o que pode ser atribuído ao marcado efeito anti-inflamatório dos corticosteróides; Title: Evaluation of the efficacy of four intra-articular therapeutic protocols for the control and treatment of osteoarthritis in a Canis familiaris model. ABSTRACT: Osteoarthritis (OA) affects all mammals, being an important and costly disease. The pathologic process, clinical presentation, and response to treatment are very similar in humans and dogs, making the naturally occurring canine osteoarthritis model the closest to a gold standard for the study of human osteoarthritis. Since OA is mainly symptomatic in the affected joint while lacking obvious extra-articular manifestations, it is well suited to have a local therapy administered by intra-articular (IA) injection, reducing the total amount required to produce an effect as well as systemic adverse effects. There are several substances used in the IA management of OA, some used for a long time, like corticosteroids and hyaluronan, while others have gained more recent attention, as autologous platelets and stanozolol. In common, regardless of how long they have been used, their action mechanisms and effects are not fully known, as the protocol for their use is usually based on the clinician’s individual experience. Disease evolution and response to treatment can be monitored through inflammation markers, different clinical evaluation modalities, as digital thermography, digital radiography, or stance analysis, which all add relevant information to the clinical examination. This study set four goals: 1) to determine the effect of four IA substances in the management of hip OA; 2) assess variations in C-reactive protein and IL-1 in the synovial fluid of patients with OA; 3) evaluate the relationship between laboratory medicine, with imaging results and clinical assessment; 4) validate the use of digital thermography and weight bearing evaluation in OA assessement; and 5) to outline a treatment protocol for patients with OA, with the dog as an animal model, under the One Health concept. One hundred (N=100) hip joints were selected from patients with naturally occurring osteoarthritis and randomly assigned to five groups: control group (CG, n=20), triamcinolone hexacetonide group (THG, n=20), platelet concentrate group (PCG, n=20), stanozolol group (SG, n=20) and Hylan G-F 20 group (HG, n=20). Evaluations were conducted on days 0 (treatment day), 8, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 days post-treatment. They consisted of the evaluation of weight distribution, joint range of motion at flexion and extension, thigh girth, digital thermography, radiographic signs, synovial fluid analysis, and four clinical metrology instruments were collected: Canine Brief Pain Inventory, Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs, Canine Orthopedic Index and the Hudson Visual Analogue Scale. All results were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics version 20. Several statiscal tests were conducted, according to the intended analysis: Paired Samples T-Test, Repeated Measures ANOVA, with a Huynh-Feldt correction, or Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test. Kaplan-Meier estimators were conducted and compared with the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to determine treatment survival. A significance level of P<0.05 was set. PCG and HG registered longer lasting effects, and better improvements according to the Cox hazard regression with the different assessments made. Considering objective parameters, PCH patients showed a 69%-81% improvement in symmetry and weight-bearing reduction, respectively, while HG showed 61% and 57% improvements. These seem to be the preferred treatments for functional impairments due to OA. In addition to these evaluations, PCG and HG also registered more significant improvements in several scores as Hudson Visual Analogue Scale, stiffness, function, gait of the Canine Orthopedic Index. Better impact on pain interference was observed in THG, which could be attributed to the high anti-inflammatory effect of corticosteroids, and the relation between pain and inflammation.

Accurate measurement of illumination system performance, e.g. efficiency and uniformity, has typically been accomplished using photo detectors at the “image plane”. This is a time-consuming task, even when aided by computer-controlled goniometers. A new method of illumination measurement using CCD cameras and specialized software is presented. The method greatly reduces the time required to record measurements, and significantly improves the quantity, quality, and comprehensiveness of the data. It can be applied to both steady-state systems, or transient systems, such as camera flash reflectors. In addition, such a system can be utilized to record accurate, digital images of an illumination source, which can be useful in illumination system design and modeling.