The Framework of a Novel Approach for the Analysis of Human Movement for Clinical Purposes

Recent technological advances have led to the development of small wearable microelectronic sensors (accelerometers) that detect motion, gravitational acceleration, and velocity with six degrees of freedom (forward-backward, updown, and side-to-side plus rotational vectors). We have used these motion sensors to create new analytical tools called biokinetographs (BKGs). BKGs allow for more precise screening, diagnosing, monitoring, assessment and predicting of function of elderly people as they ambulate using sophisticated analysis of the unique electronic motion signature of each person. Remarkable visual differences in “functional walking signatures” are evident on the BKGs between fallers and non-fallers. This presentation will summarize our current efforts to translate this new technology into novel clinical and research tools for improving function, reducing injurious falls, and diagnosing orthopedic and neurological conditions for elderly people.