Mobile Application Utilization for Measurement of Scapular Position
Condition: Shoulder Pain
MeSH terms: Shoulder Pain
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to determine the ability of a mobile clinical application to
      reliably and accurately track scapular motion in people with asymptomatic and symptomatic
      shoulders. The ability to accurately and reliably measure shoulder position clinically is an
      important first step in choosing the best treatment techniques to treat shoulder movement
      dysfunction. Therefore, the primary objectives of the study are:

        1. To determine the inter- and intra-rater reliability of shoulder joint position
           measurements in symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects, by using a mobile application,
           with and without use of a handle for a smartphone

        2. To determine the validity of the shoulder joint position measurements measurements as
           described above.
    

Detailed description: 
      Subjects will be asked to provide demographic and background information such as age, height,
      history of pain or injury, and descriptions of their physical activity levels. Subjects will
      receive a clinical screening exam by a licensed physical therapist to determine the type of
      movement abnormalities present, the severity of their symptoms and to screen for inclusion
      and exclusion criteria.

      To collect scapular position measurement reliability data, subjects will stand through out
      data collection. Measurements of the scapula will be taken with the mobile application for
      the arm at rest and in two elevated position. Subjects will wear an off-the-shelf elbow brace
      when asked to hold their arm in the two elevated positions. These elevated positions will be
      maintained by having subjects maintain contact of their forearm against a guide. For
      intra-rater reliability, position measurements will be repeated twice for each of three
      planes of elevation. Additionally, for inter-rater reliability each measurement will be
      repeated once by two other examiners. This process will repeated twice when using the
      application with and without the handle.

      For the validation portion of the study, a subgroup of subjects will have the same position
      measurements performed by a single examiner with additional motion sensors taped to the skin
      of their scapula and breast bone and a sensor attached to an arm brace strapped to their arm.

      In total, the subject will be asked to raise and hold their arm for approximately 5 sec, 36
      times during the testing within ranges of motion typically performed during daily activities.
    

Intervention name(s): Healthy Volunteers; Symptomatic Volunteers
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Scapula static position of subjects with and without shoulder symptoms will be recorded utilizing a mobile phone application placed on their scapula by either the examiner's hands or with a handle, held by the examiner.; Scapula static position of subjects with and without shoulder symptoms will be recorded utilizing a mobile phone application placed on their scapula by either the examiner's hands or with a handle, held by the examiner.
Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        1. Asymptomatic subjects: subjects without complaints or history of shoulder pain or
             obvious movement abnormalities.

          2. Symptomatic subjects: subjects with shoulder pain who have active range of motion
             beyond 120° of elevation.
      
Keywords: shoulder; motion; measurement; healthy shoulder; shoulder motion