Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare changes in the clubhead speed, club angle of approach and swing kinematics of a popular golf swing teaching method with a less-known one, based on interventions made over a single one-hour session. Methods Two swing methods ‘rhythm’ and ‘position’ were compared for their efficacy. Sixteen right-handed subjects 2 female, 14 male participated. Ages ranged from 20 to 76, and golf handicaps from +4 to -30. During the session, swings were monitored using 53 retroreflective markers and nearinfrared cameras. Each subject was randomly assigned one of the two methods, then made 10 pre-intervention shots, which were recorded; made 10-15 swings to practice the intervention swing; then made 10 post-intervention swings; once again, recorded. The intervention for the ‘rhythm’ group required the subject to swing to a rhythm of ‘one and’ during the backswing, and ‘two’ during the downswing. The intervention for the ‘position’ group required the subject to keep the right arm as straight as possible; and swing the arms and the clubshaft in a straight line towards the subject’s right foot, during backswing takeaway. The recordings of the surface markers were then tracked and edited to produce threedimensional coordinates as a function of the swing. The average of 1 to 6 shots preand postintervention were used, as all swings were not ‘trackable’. Based on the position-time data collected, specific angles and distances were noted, at four particular break-points during the swing: 1) address, 2) clubshaft horizontal during backswing (90BS), 3) top of backswing (ToBS) and 4) impact. Clubhead speed at impact was also calculated. Independent, dependent, and Chi square tests were used to determine significant differences (p<0.05). Results There were no significant changes in the rhythm variables for either group. The position group showed several statistically significant kinematic changes. The angle of approach of the clubhead to the ball reduced significantly for the position group, indicating a shallower angle of approach of clubhead to ball, along a horizontal axis. There was no significant change in the angle of approach for the rhythm group. Results for clubhead speed indicated that there was a significant increase for the position group from what was expected. No change was observed for the rhythm group. Conclusions This study was the first to compare two swing methods for efficacy. The comparison served to rule out any improvement taking place merely from random, undirected practice. It was also desired to study whether swing change can quickly show improvement. The study was able to show an improvement in clubhead speed for the position method intervention in a small time frame. The post-intervention ‘position’ backswing was successful because: ‘wide’ arms can produce greater weight-shift for more clubhead speed. A straight-aspossible right arm forces the left arm and thus the entire left side of the body to move, creating weight shift. An ‘inside’ backswing path is more likely to promote the desired ‘in-to-out’ downswing path. Only the arms are used during backswing takeaway, so the arms and body remain in synchronization throughout the backswing, and the downswing is more likely to commence in sequential order lower body first for greater power production. Keeping both arms as straight as possible keeps the backswing ‘shallow’ and allows the downswing to be similarly shallow. Less wrist-cock (bend) at the top of the backswing allows the club to be taken upto, and no further than, its position of maximum gravitational potential energy, thus harnessing gravity to help initiate the downswing. A final benefit of the recommended ‘inside’ movement of the position method is that it moves the right shoulder away from the ball during the backswing, thus reducing the chances of the upper right side of the body starting the downswing. The ‘position’ method was able to shallow-out the downswing arc, which should lead to greater trajectory, and thus greater carry distance. Two limitations of the study are that it was conducted over a single one hour session with no follow-up, and that all 10 swings ‘before’ and ‘after’ were not always trackable. It can be concluded that it is possible to increase clubhead speed; reduce the angle of approach of the club to the ball; and make kinematic changes, in a short time interval, in a diverse range of club golfers.

Object: Surgical training is often seen as very timely and cost consuming as it requires multiple interactions with other experienced physicians. Through the use of video motion capture (VMC), novice surgeon's skills will be compared objectively to those of more experienced surgeons. Methods: VMC was used to capture the movements of four neurosurgery residents performing five simple tasks: (1) threading the needle through the provided plastic vessel; (2) pulling the needle through the provided plastic vessel; and (3,4,5) tying the suture three times. Results: It was concluded that experienced subjects recorded more accurate and precise motions within a shorter amount of time when compared to novice subjects. There was a decrease in time, elapsed path, and thumb tip distance with increasing experience. Conclusions: The use of VMC proves to be a successful way to compare the differences between different levels of surgical expertise and we hope that this research will impact training paradigms for future surgical trainees. (c) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Movement therapy is one type of upper extremity intervention for children with cerebral palsy (CP) to improve function. It requires high-intensity, repetitive and task-specific training. Tedium and lack of motivation are substantial barriers to completing the training. An approach to overcome these barriers is to couple the movement therapy with videogames. This investigation: (1) tested the feasibility of delivering a free Internet videogame upper extremity motor intervention to four children with CP (aged 8–17 years) with mild to moderate limitations to upper limb function; and (2) determined the level of intrinsic motivation during the intervention. The intervention used free Internet videogames in conjunction with the Microsoft Kinect motion sensor and the Flexible Action and Articulated Skeleton Toolkit software (FAAST) software. Results indicated that the intervention could be successfully delivered in the laboratory and the home, and pre- and post- impairment, function and performance assessments were possible. Results also indicated a high level of motivation among the participants. It was concluded that the use of inexpensive hardware and software in conjunction with free Internet videogames has the potential to be very motivating in helping to improve the upper extremity abilities of children with CP. Future work should include results from additional participants and from a control group in a randomized controlled trial to establish efficacy.

Concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of the Microsoft Kinect in quantification of manual wheelchair propulsion were examined. Data were collected from five manual wheelchair users on a roller system. Three Kinect sensors were used to assess test-retest reliability with a still pose. Three systems were used to assess concurrent validity of the Kinect to measure propulsion kinematics (joint angles, push loop characteristics): Kinect, Motion Analysis, and Dartfish ProSuite (Dartfish joint angles were limited to shoulder and elbow flexion). Intraclass correlation coefficients revealed good reliability (0.87-0.99) between five of the six joint angles (neck flexion, shoulder flexion, shoulder abduction, elbow flexion, wrist flexion). ICCs suggested good concurrent validity for elbow flexion between the Kinect and Dartfish and between the Kinect and Motion Analysis. Good concurrent validity was revealed for maximum height, hand-axle relationship, and maximum area (0.92-0.95) between the Kinect and Dartfish and maximum height and hand-axle relationship (0.89-0.96) between the Kinect and Motion Analysis. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in maximum length between Dartfish (mean 58.76 cm) and the Kinect (40.16 cm). Results pose promising research and clinical implications for propulsion assessment and overuse injury prevention with the application of current findings to future technology.

OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether hippotherapy increased function and participation in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We hypothesized improvements in motor control, which might increase adaptive behaviors and participation in daily activities.METHOD:Six children with ASD ages 5-12 participated in 12 weekly 45-min hippotherapy sessions. Measures pre- and post-hippotherapy included the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II and the Child Activity Card Sort. Motor control was measured preintervention and postintervention using a video motion capture system and force plates.RESULTS:Postural sway significantly decreased postintervention. Significant increases were observed in overall adaptive behaviors (receptive communication and coping) and in participation in self-care, low-demand leisure, and social interactions.CONCLUSION:These results suggest that hippotherapy has a positive influence on children with ASD and can be a useful treatment tool for this population.

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that movement of the head and trunk increases as a consequence of speed during manual wheelchair propulsion over the ground in individuals with tetraplegia. Methods: Seven adult participants with tetraplegia who used manual wheelchairs (5 men and 2 women, aged 33.0 +/- 10.2) were selected for the study. Participants propelled over the ground at three different speeds while video motion capture methods collected kinematic data. Variables investigated were forward flexion, lateral flexion and axial rotation for both the head and trunk. Repeated measures ANOVA were used to determine effects of speed on head and trunk movements. Results: Both neck and trunk forward flexion significantly increased as a result of speed (p = 0.034, p = 0.031), with a large effect size (r = 0.6, r = 0.6) between slow and fast speeds. Lateral flexion and axial rotation were minimal for the neck and trunk and did not significantly increase with speed. Conclusions: Results suggest that manual wheelchair users with tetraplegia compensate for trunk muscle weakness by flexing the upper trunk and neck forward during manual wheelchair propulsion and that these movements increase with speed. Further studies should examine if these movements relate to overuse injuries and interventions that focus on improving manual wheelchair biomechanics of individuals with tetraplegia.

Spinal immobilization is one of the most commonly performed pre-hospital procedures. Little research has been done on the movement of the neck during immobilization and extrication. In this study we used a sophisticated infrared six-camera motion-capture system (Motion Analysis Corporation, Santa Rosa, CA), to study the motion of the neck and head during extrication. A mock automobile was constructed to scale, and volunteer patients, with infrared markers on bony prominences, were extricated by experienced paramedics. We found in this pilot study that allowing an individual to exit the car under his own volition with cervical collar in place may result in the least amount of motion of the cervical spine. Further research should be conducted to verify these findings. In addition, this system could be utilized to study a variety of methods of extrication from automobile accidents.

Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the US, and for many it causes loss of gait function. The purpose of this research is to examine stroke survivors' gait adaptations to training on the powered ankle-foot orthosis (PAFO). Of particular interest is the stroke survivors' ability to learn how to store and release energy properly while using the device. The PAFO utilizes robotic tendon technology and supports motion with a single degree of freedom - ankle rotation in the sagittal plane. This actuator comprises a motor and series spring. The user interacts with the output side of the spring while the robot controls the input side of the spring such that typical able-body ankle moments would be generated, assuming able-body ankle kinematics are seen at the output side of the spring. Three individuals post-stroke participated in a 3-week training protocol. Outcome measures (temporal, kinematic and kinetic) were derived from robot sensors and recorded for every step. These data are used to evaluate each stroke survivor's adaptations to robotic gait assistance. The robot was worn only on the paretic ankle. For validation of the kinematic results, motion capture data were collected on the third subject. All subjects showed increased cadence, ankle range of motion and power generation capabilities. Additionally, all subjects were able to achieve a larger power output than power input from the robot. Motion capture data collected from Subject 3 validated the robot sensor kinematic data on the affected side, but also demonstrated an unexpected gait adaptation on the unaffected ankle. Sensors on the gait-assisting robot provide large volumes of valuable information on how gait parameters change over time. We have developed key gait evaluation metrics based on the available robot sensor information that may be useful to future researchers. All subjects adapted their gait to the robotic assistance and many of their key metrics moved closer to typical able-body values. This suggests that each subject learned to utilize the assistive moments generated by the robot, despite having no predefined ankle trajectory input from the robot. The security of being harnessed on the treadmill led to more dramatic and favorable results. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011

With over 600 thousand people each year surviving a stroke, it has become the leading cause of serious long-term disability in the United States [1], [2]. The adverse financial and social conditions attributed to stroke have prompted researchers and entrepreneurs to explore the viability of rehabilitation robots. The Powered Ankle Foot Orthosis (PAFO) utilizes robotic tendon technology and supports motion with a single degree of freedom, ankle rotation in the Sagittal plane. Motion capture data, robot sensor data, and functional 6 minute walk data were collected on three stroke subjects. All subjects had some positive changes in their key gait variables while using the PAFO. These changes were more dramatic while harnessed and using a treadmill as opposed to walking over ground. Robot sensor data showed significant improvements on key variables for the three subjects. Motion capture data showed improvements in knee range of motion for subject 1, and the 6 minute walk data showed an increase in distance walked for subjects 1 and 3. Comfort, stability, and robustness proved to be critical design parameters for developing a gait therapy robot capable of collecting repeatable data with low variability.

Changes in dynamic trunk/head stability and functional reach after hippotherapy.Objectives: To determine if hippotherapy (therapy using a horse) improves head/trunk stability and upper extremity (UE) reaching/targeting in children with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy (SDCP).Design: Pre-postoperative follow-up with a 12-week intervention and 12-week washout period after intervention.Setting: A human performance laboratory with 6 camera video motion capture systems for testing.Participants: Eleven children (age 5-13y, average 8y) with SDCP, 8 children (age 5-13y, average 8y) without disabilities.Intervention: Hippotherapy intervention performed at 3 therapeutic horseback riding centers.Main Outcome Measures: Video motion capture using surface markers collecting data at 60Hz, a triechanical barrel to challenge trunk and head stability, and functional reach/targeting test on static surface.Results: Significant changes with large effect sizes in head/trunk stability and reaching/targeting, elapsed time, and efficiency (reach/path ratio) after 12 weeks of hippotherapy intervention. Changes were retained after a 12-week washout period.Conclusions: Hippotherapy improves trunk/head stability and UE reaching/targeting. These skills form the foundation for many functional tasks. Changes are maintained after the intervention ceases providing a skill foundation for functional tasks that may also enhance occupational performance and participation.