Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38594696›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2024

A portable system to measure knee extensor spasticity after spinal cord injury.

Dalia De Santis, Monica A Perez

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Enhanced Reticulospinal Output in Subacute Spinal Cord Injury Patients with Spasticity.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Exploring the Landscape of Biomarkers in Spinal Cord Injury.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitation · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Dalia De SantisShirley Ryan Abilitylab, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Monica A PerezShirley Ryan Abilitylab, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA. mperez04@sralab.org.
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab · US

Funding

From Neural Control of Movement to Treatments for Spinal Cord InjuryR35NS122336 · NINDS · REHABILITATION INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO D/B/A SHIRLEY RYAN ABILITYLAB · PI Monica A Perez · 2021 to 2026
$3.6M
Grasping Function after Spinal Cord InjuryI01RX002474 · VA · MIAMI VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · PI PEREZ, MONICA A · 2018 to 2024
–
Spinal Cord Stimulation for Functional Recovery in Humans with TetraplegiaI01RX003715 · VA · EDWARD HINES JR VA HOSPITAL · PI PEREZ, MONICA A · 2022 to 2025
–
NINDS NIH HHS R35 NS122336RRD VA I01 RX002474RRD VA I01 RX002848RRD VA I01 RX003715
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe pendulum test is a quantitative method used to assess knee extensor spasticity in humans with spinal cord injury (SCI). Yet, the clinical implementation of this method remains limited. The goal of our study was to develop an objective and portable system to assess knee extensor spasticity during the pendulum test using inertial measurement units (IMU).

methodsSpasticity was quantified by measuring the first swing angle (FSA) using a 3-dimensional optical tracking system (with external markers over the iliotibial band, lateral knee epicondyle, and lateral malleolus) and two wireless IMUs (positioned over the iliotibial band and mid-part of the lower leg) as well as a clinical exam (Modified Ashworth Scale, MAS).

resultsMeasurements were taken on separate days to assess test-retest reliability and device agreement in humans with and without SCI. We found no differences between FSA values obtained with the optical tracking system and the IMU-based system in control subjects and individuals with SCI. FSA values from the IMU-based system showed excellent agreement with the optical tracking system in individuals with SCI (ICC > 0.98) and good agreement in controls (ICC > 0.82), excellent test-retest reliability across days in SCI (ICC = 0.93) and good in controls (ICC = 0.87). Notably, FSA values measured by both systems showed a strong association with MAS scores (

conclusionsThese findings suggest that our new portable IMU-based system provides a robust and flexible alternative to a camera-based optical tracking system to quantify knee extensor spasticity following SCI.

Indexed as

Lower ExtremitySpinal Cord InjuriesHumansKneeMuscle SpasticityReproducibility of ResultsInertial measurement unitsModified Ashworth ScalePendulum testReliabilitySpasticitySpinal cord injury

Identifiers

PMID38594696
PMCPMC11003160
OpenAlexW4394613719

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.