Standardized voluntary force measurement in a lower extremity rehabilitation robot
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Date
2008-10-28
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
Background
Isometric force measurements in the lower extremity are widely used in rehabilitation of subjects with neurological movement disorders (NMD) because walking ability has been shown to be related to muscle strength. Therefore muscle strength measurements can be used to monitor and control the effects of training programs. A new method to assess isometric muscle force was implemented in the driven gait orthosis (DGO) Lokomat. To evaluate the capabilities of this new measurement method, inter- and intra-rater reliability were assessed.
Methods
Reliability was assessed in subjects with and without NMD. Subjects were tested twice on the same day by two different therapists to test inter-rater reliability and on two separate days by the same therapist to test intra-rater reliability.
Results
Results showed fair to good reliability for the new measurement method to assess isometric muscle force of lower extremities. In subjects without NMD, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for inter-rater reliability ranged from 0.72 to 0.97 and intra-rater reliability from 0.71 to 0.90. In subjects with NMD, ICC ranged from 0.66 to 0.97 for inter-rater and from 0.50 to 0.96 for intra-rater reliability.
Conclusion
Inter- and intra- rater reliability of an assessment method for measuring maximal voluntary isometric muscle force of lower extremities was demonstrated. We suggest that this method is a valuable tool for documentation and controlling of the rehabilitation process in patients using a DGO.
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published
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Book title
Journal / series
Volume
5
Pages / Article No.
23
Publisher
BioMed Central
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Date collected
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Subject
HINTEREXTREMITÄTEN DER VERTEBRATA (TIERPHYSIOLOGIE, TIERMORPHOLOGIE); ROBOTERBEINE; MUSKELKRAFT + MUSKELENERGETIK + MUSKELDYNAMIK (ANATOMIE UND PHYSIOLOGIE); HIND LIMBS OF VERTEBRATA (ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY, ANIMAL MORPHOLOGY); ROBOT LEGS; MUSCULAR STRENGTH + MUSCULAR DYNAMICS + MUSCULAR ENERGETICS (ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY)
Organisational unit
03654 - Riener, Robert / Riener, Robert
02030 - Dep. Biologie / Dep. of Biology