Automated, IMU-based spine angle estimation and IMU location identification for telerehabilitation

Telerehabilitation is a promising avenue for improving patient outcomes and expanding accessibility. However, there is currently no spine-related assessment for telerehabilitation that covers multiple exercises.

We propose a wearable system with two inertial measurement units (IMUs) to identify IMU locations and estimate spine angles for ten commonly prescribed spinal degeneration rehabilitation exercises (supine chin tuck head lift rotation, dead bug unilateral isometric hold, pilates saw, catcow full spine, wall angel, quadruped neck flexion/extension, adductor open book, side plank hip dip, bird dog hip spinal flexion, and windmill single leg). Twelve healthy subjects performed these spine-related exercises, and wearable IMU data were collected for spine angle estimation and IMU location identification.

Results demonstrated average mean absolute spinal angle estimation errors of 2.59 \(^\circ\) ${}^{\circ }$ and average classification accuracy of 92.97%. The proposed system effectively identified IMU locations and assessed spine-related rehabilitation exercises while demonstrating robustness to individual differences and exercise variations.

This inexpensive, convenient, and user-friendly approach to spine degeneration rehabilitation could potentially be implemented at home or provide remote assessment, offering a promising avenue to enhance patient outcomes and improve accessibility for spine-related rehabilitation.

Trial registration: No. E2021013P in Shanghai Jiao Tong University.