Manual Inclinometer Research Articles

Effects of Thoracic Mobilization and Extension Exercise on Thoracic Alignment and Shoulder Function in Patients with Subacromial Impingement Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Introduction: Thoracic kyphosis commonly occurs in subacromial impingement syndrome. This pilot study investigated the effect of thoracic joint mobilization and extension exercise on improving thoracic alignment and shoulder function. Methods: In total, 30 patients with subacromial impingement syndrome were recruited and randomly assigned to three groups, the joint mobilization group (n = 10), exercise group (n = 10), and combination group (n = 10). After four weeks of treatment, the measured outcomes included thoracic kyphosis using a manual inclinometer; pectoralis major (PM) and upper trapezius (UT) muscle tone and stiffness using the MyotonPRO®; affected side passive range of motion (ROM) using the goniometer (flexion, abduction, medial rotation, and lateral rotation); and shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI). Results: All three groups had significant improvements in all variables (p < 0.05). Thoracic kyphosis; UT muscle tone; and flexion, medial rotation, and lateral rotation ROM and SPADI were all significantly improved in the combination group compared to the mobilization and exercise groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The combination therapy of thoracic mobilization and extension exercise can be regarded as a promising method to improve thoracic alignment and shoulder function in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome.

The Prevalence and Negative Effects of Thoracic Hyperkyphosis on Chinese Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

Globally, 20% to 50% older adults have been found to have thoracic hyperkyphosis. Negative effects on physical performance have been reported. However, there has been a lack of research on the prevalence and negative effects of thoracic hyperkyphosis among Chinese community-dwelling elderly. A cross-sectional study. The communities in Wuhan, China. Three hundred and ninety-five Chinese community-dwelling older adults with thoracic hyperkyphosis. Chinese community-dwelling older adults aged 60 or above lived in Wuhan, China from August to December 2018 were recruited for spine and physical performance assessments. The primary outcome was the prevalence of thoracic hyperkyphosis estimated according to the angle of kyphosis which was measured by manual inclinometers. The secondary outcomes were the effects of thoracic hyperkyphosis on physical performance measured by One-leg Standing Test (OLS), Timed Up AND Go Test (TUG), Chest Expansion Test (CE), Six Minutes Walking Test (6MWT), and Farsi Version of Functional Gait Assessment (FGA). The socio-demographic and health-related information were collected by a questionnaire. Among 395 participants, the mean angle of kyphosis was 49.0° ± 10.5°, 75.2% of participants had the angle of kyphosis >40° (i.e., having thoracic kyperkyphosis). Compared with older adults having no thoracic hyperkyphosis, older adults with thoracic hyperkyphosis had increased risks performing impaired in OLS (OR=4.55, 95% CI 2.18-9.53, p<0.001), TUG (OR=6.08, 95% CI 2.57-14.40, p<0.001), CE (OR=3.23, 95% CI 1.63-6.38, p=0.001), 6MWT (OR=4.64, 95% CI 1.98-10.86, p<0.001), and FGA (OR=5.18, 95% CI 2.25-11.89, p<0.001) after controlling socio-demographic and health-related factors. The thoracic hyperkyphosis had high prevalence and associated with impaired performance in balance, gait, and cardiopulmonary function tests among Chinese community-dwelling older adults, which calls for the future intervention.

Advances on Measuring Deep-Seated Ground Deformations Using Robotized Inclinometer System.

In the field of geo-hazards and geo-engineering, monitoring networks represent a key element for the geological risk assessment and the design and management of large infrastructures construction. In the last decade, we have observed a strong development on remote sensing techniques but just small changes in the subsoil observations. However, this type of measurement is very important to have a three-dimensional representation of the studied area, since the surface measurements often represent a sum of deformations that develop in a complex way in the subsoil. In this paper, we present a robotic inclinometer system developed to acquire deep-seated ground deformations in boreholes. This instrumentation combines advantages offered by manual inclinometer measurements with a robotized approach that improves the results in term of accuracy, revisiting time, and site accessibility. The Automated Inclinometer System (AIS) allows one to explore automatically all the length of the monitored borehole using just one inclinometer probe with a semi-wireless system. The paper presents the system and a detailed dataset of measurements acquired on three inclinometer tubes installed for the monitoring of the construction phase of the new Line C Metro of Rome. The dataset was acquired in real monitored site and undisturbed conditions and can represent a benchmark for modern inclinometer measurements.

A comprehensive framework of TDR landslide monitoring and early warning substantiated by field examples

Due to the climate change and hazardous geological environment in Taiwan, real-time landslide monitoring for safety of adjacent tribes or infrastructures is much conspicuous. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is considered as valuable technology for continuously capturing dynamics and locations of shear deformations with high temporal and spatial coverages. In this study, a comprehensive framework was proposed by integrating up-to-date procedure of installation guide, data acquisition, sliding deformation identification, and early warning processing. The advantages of the proposed framework were then examined and substantiated via field cases. The first case is at a large colluvium slope in Lushan, central Taiwan. The colluvium is still active after heavy rainfall events, but limited evidence of sliding characteristic was collected previously by manual inclinometer logging. Therefore, the TDR framework was deployed and multiple landslide surfaces at great depths were timely observed. Movement of colluvium mass was thereby interpreted as a buckling fold. Additionally, creep occurred among the colluvium layer during the monsoon season because of strength weakening influenced by pore pressure fluctuations. Monitoring results of the second landslide case in Jufan, northern Taiwan, reported the dynamics of a thin sliding plane captured with TDR high temporal resolution. This unique behavior was further applied for devising of a novel early-warning strategy in terms of time-variation of TDR response, validating that the comprehensive framework of TDR landslide can effectively contribute to early warning.

Innovative Monitoring Tools and Early Warning Systems for Risk Management: A Case Study

During recent years, the availability of innovative monitoring instrumentation has been a fundamental component in the development of efficient and reliable early warning systems (EWS). In fact, the potential to achieve high sampling frequencies, together with automatic data transmission and elaboration are key features for a near-real time approach. This paper presents a case study located in Central Italy, where the realization of an important state route required a series of preliminary surveys. The monitoring system installed on site included manual inclinometers, automatic modular underground monitoring system (MUMS) inclinometers, piezometers, and geognostic surveys. In particular, data recorded by innovative instrumentation allowed for the detection of major slope displacements that ultimately led to the landslide collapse. The implementation of advanced tools, featuring remote and automatic procedures for data sampling and elaboration, played a key role in the critical event identification and prediction. In fact, thanks to displacement data recorded by the MUMS inclinometer, it was possible to forecast the slope failure that was later confirmed during the following site inspection. Additionally, a numerical analysis was performed to better understand the mechanical behavior of the slope, back-analyze the monitored event, and to assess the stability conditions of the area of interest.

An evaluation of two types of exercise classes, containing shoulder exercises or a combination of shoulder and thoracic exercises, for the treatment of nonspecific shoulder pain: A case series

Study DesignA case series was carried out. IntroductionThere is a lack of evidence exploring the effectiveness of group exercise classes for people with nonspecific shoulder pain (NSSP). Also, there is a lack of research that measures potential reductions in thoracic kyphosis after exercise interventions in people with NSSP. Purpose of the StudyTo observe changes in shoulder pain, disability, and thoracic kyphosis in 2 groups of people with NSSP, after 2 different types of group exercise classes. MethodsPeople with NSSP received a 6-week block of exercises classes containing either shoulder exercises alone (shoulder group, n = 20) or a mixture of shoulder and thoracic extension exercises (thoracic group, n = 19). The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire for disability and the Numeric Rating Scale for pain were measured at baseline, 6 weeks, and 6 months. Thoracic kyphosis was measured at baseline and 6 weeks using the manual inclinometer. ResultsSignificant and clinically meaningful improvements in Numeric Rating Scale and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand were demonstrated in both groups at 6-week and 6-month follow-up (P < .001). Effect sizes ranged from 0.78–1.16 in the shoulder group and 0.85–1.88 in the thoracic group. Thoracic kyphosis did not change beyond measurement error in either group. Discussion/ConclusionGroup exercise classes can improve shoulder pain and disability in people with NSSP. Resting thoracic kyphosis did not change after either exercise intervention, which suggests that the treatment effect was not due to a change in static thoracic spine posture.

Intrarater and Interrater Reliability of the Flexicurve Index, Flexicurve Angle, and Manual Inclinometer for the Measurement of Thoracic Kyphosis

Objective. This study aimed to describe the interrater and intrarater reliability of the flexicurve index, flexicurve angle, and manual inclinometer in swimmers. A secondary objective was to determine the level of agreement between the inclinometer angle and the flexicurve angle and to provide an equation to approximate one angle from the other. Methods. Thirty swimmers participated. Thoracic kyphosis was measured using the flexicurve and the manual inclinometer. Intraclass correlation coefficient, 95% confidence interval, and standard error of measurement were computed. Results. The flexicurve angle and index showed excellent intrarater (ICC = 0.94) and good interrater (ICC = 0.86) reliability. The inclinometer demonstrated excellent intrarater (ICC = 0.92) and interrater (ICC = 0.90) reliability. The flexicurve angle was systematically smaller and correlated poorly with the inclinometer angle (R 2 = 0.384). The following equations can be used for approximate conversions: flexicurve angle = (0.275 × inclinometer angle) + 8.478; inclinometer angle = (1.396 × flexicurve angle) + 8.694. Conclusion. The inclinometer and flexicurve are both reliable instruments for thoracic kyphosis measurement in swimmers. Although the flexicurve and inclinometer angles are not directly comparable, the approximate conversion factors provided will permit translation of flexicurve angle to inclinometer angle and vice versa.

Innovative sensing for real-time health monitoring of geostructural systems

Recent advances in miniaturizing sensors and electronics and the development of a pervasive wireless infrastructure have enabled a paradigm shift in the health monitoring of soilstructure systems. Created by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)1 and Measurand Inc.,2 the wireless ShapeAccelArray (SAA) sensing system is capable of measurements that represent a significant advance in implementing this shift. Over the last 50 years engineers have used traditional, manual slope inclinometers to monitor the health of landslides and construction activities. However, the frequency and accuracy of this labor-intensive monitoring rely on a trained engineer manually collecting and managing the data. The low sensor density provided by this method results in very limited data. State departments of transportation and federal agencies continue to spend significant resources monitoring possible slope failures using manual inclinometers or in-place inclinometer arrays. The expense and inflexibility of the slope inclinometer arrays, and the need for torsional alignment, make installation of multiple setups at a single site relatively rare, severely limiting the ability to conduct pervasive real-time monitoring. The wireless SAA system can remotely collect both 3D deformation and acceleration readings anywhere there is cell-phone coverage. The SAA system enables gravity-based shape calculation along a sensorized substrate through an extension of technologies that use fiber-optic orientation sensing to calculate 3D polylines representing the shape of a sensor array.3 The SAA uses microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers in a precalibrated, geometrically constrained arrangement4 to provide long-term stability previously unattainable with fiber-optic Figure 1. Advancing polyvinyl chloride casing segments along the wireless ShapeAccelArray (SAA).