The use of the oscilloscope as an evaluation method for the upper extremity in healthy volunteers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.23170190.v33e244539Keywords:
Upper Extremity, Functional Laterality, Mobile Applications, Smartphone, Evaluation StudyAbstract
The functionality of the upper limb depends on the integrity of its anatomical segments and the stability provided by surrounding structures, which together enable coordinated and balanced movement. Objective: To develop a method for evaluating upper limb motor control using a gyroscope-based approach. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 50 healthy volunteers to assess upper limb motor control. A gyroscope was employed to record oscillations of the X, Y, and Z axes while participants walked a 5-meter path at a self-selected speed. A smartphone containing the Phyphox application was attached to the wrist of the dominant upper limb, with the elbow flexed at 90° and the shoulder in a neutral position. The application recorded angular variations (X, Y, and Z) throughout the movement trajectory. The same procedure was then repeated for the non-dominant upper limb. Data were analyzed using SPSS software to compute comparisons and correlations between limbs. Results: The non-dominant upper limb exhibited significantly greater oscillation compared to the dominant side (p<0.04 for participants aged 20 at 39 years; p<0.001 for those aged 40 at 59 years), with an average walking speed of 0.55 m/s. Conclusion: The use of a gyroscope combined with an accelerometer allowed the identification of greater stability in the dominant upper limb compared to the non-dominant limb during walking.
Downloads
References
1. Felstead AJ, Ricketts D. Biomechanics of the shoulder and elbow. Orthopaedics and Trauma. 2017;31(5):300-5. Doi: 10.1016/j.mporth.2017.07.004
2. Mira RM, Molinari Tosatti L, Sacco M, Scano A. Detailed characterization of physiological EMG activations and direc- tional tuning of upper-limb and trunk muscles in point-to- point reaching movements. Curr Res Physiol. 2021;4:60-72. Doi: 10.1016/j.crphys.2021.02.005
3. Tooth C, Schwartz C, Croisier JL, Gofflot A, Bornheim S, Forthomme B. Upper limb functional testing: does age, gender, and sport influence performance? JSES Int. 2024;8(6):1275-1283. Doi: 10.1016/j.jseint.2024.08.177
4. Kibler WB, Sciascia AD, Uhl TL, Tambay N, Cunningham T. Electromyographic analysis of specific exercises for scapu- lar control in early phases of shoulder rehabilitation. Am J Sports Med. 2008;36(9):1789-98. Doi: 10.1177/0363546508316281
5. Eskiizmirliler S, Papaxanthis C, Pozzo T, Darlot C. A model of the cerebellar sensory--motor control applied to fast human forearm movements. J Integr Neurosci. 2008;7(4):481-500. Doi: 10.1142/s0219635208001940
6. Frau-Escales P, Langa-Revert Y, Querol-Fuentes F, Mora-Amérigo E, Such-Sanz A. Trastornos músculo-esqueléticos del hombro en atención primaria. Estudio de prevalencia en un centro de la Agencia Valenciana de Salud. Fisioterapia. 2013;35(1):10-17. Doi: 10.1016/j.ft.2012.05.001
7. Astur DC, Novaretti JV, Uehbe RK, Arliani GG, Moraes ER, Castro Pochini A, et al. Muscle injury: current perspectives and trends in Brazil. Rev Bras Ortop. 2014;49(6):573-80. Doi: 10.1016/j.rboe.2013.10.003
8. Balbi LL, Barbosa RI, Marcolino AM, Sugano RM, Fonseca MCR. Validade, confiabilidade e responsividade da versão brasileira do questionário Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS-Br) nas lesões do membro superior. Acta Fisiátr. 2019;26(2):66-70. Doi: 10.11606/issn.2317-0190.v26i2a164107
9. Martins J, Napoles BV, Hoffman CB, Oliveira AS. The Brazilian version of Shoulder Pain and Disability Index: translation, cultural adaptation and reliability. Rev Bras Fisioter. 2010;14(6):527-36.
10. Sharma S, Ejaz Hussain M, Sharma S. Effects of exercise therapy plus manual therapy on muscle activity, latency timing and SPADI score in shoulder impingement syndrome. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021;44:101390. Doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101390
11. Ikemoto RY, Almeida LHO, Motta GGB, Kim ASM, Lial CVN, Claros JJ. Comparative Study between Scales: Subjective Elbow Value and Patient-rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation Applied to Patients Affected by Lateral Epicondylitis. Rev Bras Ortop (Sao Paulo). 2020;55(5):564-569. Doi: 10.1055/s-0039-3402465
12. Fonseca MCR, Lalone E, Claro da Silva N, Mendes Sugano RM, Barbosa RI, Marcolino AM, et al. Construct validity of the Patient-Rated Wrist and Hand Evaluation questionnaire (PRWHE) for nerve repair in the hand. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2019;40:40-44. Doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2019.01.007
13. Nordqvist JM, Holmgren TM, Adolfsson LE, Öberg BE, Johansson KM. The minimal important change for the sevenitem disability of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH 7) questionnaire - Assessing shoulder function in patients with subacromial pain. JSES Int. 2021;5(3):474-9. Doi: 10.1016/j.jseint.2021.01.008
14. Guirelli PHS, Silva AG, Silva RM. Influência da força dos músculos escapulares e estabilizadores da coluna nos resultados de testes funcionais em indivíduos com dor no ombro. Rev Bras Fisioter. 2001; 25(1):18. 15. Menegazzi M, Hendler KG, Neves LMS, Kuriki HU, Barbosa RI, Fonseca MCR, et al. The Influence of Rotator Cuff Muscles Fatigue on the Activation and Firing Rate of the Motor Units of Core Muscles. Adv Sci Eng Med. 2020;12(4):564-9.
16. Torabi TP, Bencke J, van den Tillaar R. The Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test (CKCUEST) Performance in Elite Team Handball Players Playing with Shoulder Pain, Previous Pain, or No Pain. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2024;19(2):189-198. Doi: 10.26603/001c.92014
17. Grood ES, Suntay WJ. A joint coordinate system for the clinical description of three-dimensional motions: application to the knee. J Biomech Eng. 1983;105(2):136-44. Doi: 10.1115/1.3138397
18. Held JPO, Klaassen B, Eenhoorn A, van Beijnum BF, Buurke JH, Veltink PH, et al. Inertial Sensor Measurements of Upper-Limb Kinematics in Stroke Patients in Clinic and Home Environment. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2018;6:27. Doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2018.00027
19. David A, Subash T, Varadhan SKM, Melendez-Calderon A, Balasubramanian S. A Framework for Sensor-Based Assessment of Upper-Limb Functioning in Hemiparesis. Front Hum Neurosci. 2021;15:667509. Doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.667509
20. Cabo CA, Fernandes O, Santos S, Parraca JA. Assessment of spatiotemporal characteristics of gait, trough the Phyphox® app: a case series. J Med Case Rep. 2023;17(1):535. Doi: 10.1186/s13256-023-04296-z
21. Rodrigues CFS, Lima FJC, Barbosa FT. Importância do uso adequado da estatística básica nas pesquisas clínicas. Rev Bras Anestesiol. 2017;67(6):619-625. Doi: 10.1016/j.bjan.2017.01.003
22. Fernandes MRM, Barbosa RI, Neves LMS, Kuriki HU, Marcolino AM. The Patient Specific Functional Scale - Brazil as an instrument for the functional assessment of patients with chronic non-specific low back pain: Construct validity (hypothesis testing and structural validity) and test-retest reliability. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2024;74:103190. Doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2024.103190
23. Krzysztofik M, Jarosz J, Matykiewicz P, Wilk M, Bialas M,Zajac A, et al. A comparison of muscle activity of the dominant and non-dominant side of the body during low versus high loaded bench press exercise performed to muscular failure. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2021;56:102513. Doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2020.102513
24. Macedo LG, Magee DJ. Differences in range of motion between dominant and nondominant sides of upper and lower extremities. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2008;31(8):577-82. Doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2008.09.003
25. Vets N, Verbeelen K, Emmerzaal J, Devoogdt N, Smeets A, Van Assche D, et al. Assessing upper limb functional use in daily life using accelerometry: A systematic review. Gait Posture. 2025;115:69-81. Doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2024.11.003
26. Pau M, Leban B, Deidda M, Porta M, Coghe G, Cattaneo D, et al. Use of wrist-worn accelerometers to quantify bilateral upper limb activity and asymmetry under free-living conditions in people with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2021;53:103081. Doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103081
27. Porta M, Leban B, Orrù PF, Pau M. Use of bilateral wrist-worn accelerometers to characterize upper limb activity time, intensity and asymmetry of use in physically demanding and sedentary working task. Int J Ind Ergon. 2022;92:103359. Doi: 10.1016/j.ergon.2022.103359
28. Edwards PK, Ebert JR, Morrow MM, Goodwin BM, Ackland T, Wang A. Accelerometry evaluation of shoulder movement and its association with patient-reported and clinical outcomes following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2020;29(11):2308-2318. Doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2020.03.030
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Acta Fisiátrica
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
O conteúdo do periódico está licenciado sob uma Licença Creative Commons BY-NC-SA. Esta licença permite que outros remixem, adaptem e criem a partir do seu trabalho para fins não comerciais, desde que atribuam ao autor o devido crédito e que licenciem as novas criações sob termos idênticos.
