Evaluation of the relative position of the head and shoulders in neurological practice

The article is dealing with the study of stability and posture by measuring and analyzing the angular movements of the head and shoulders. In neurological practice, however, this method of evaluating the relative angular movements of the head and shoulders is not a common practice. The objective of this study was to develop a method of precise measurement of relative angular movements of the head and shoulders, in other words, measuring the relative position of the head and shoulders in a 3-D space with the accuracy up to 1°. The camera system of our design provides direct information for physicians about the relative position of the patient's head and shoulders, is described by the angles. The inclination and rotation of the head and shoulders were measured with the accuracy to 1°. Then, a 2-D plot of the relative rotation of the head and shoulders versus the relative inclination of the head and shoulders was obtained. The total length and mean velocity of the trajectory, in the plot, were used to measure and analyze head and shoulder movements. The plots helped in modeling the distribution of the measured 2-D data and evaluate stability and posture of the patient's body. The new method offers quantitative assessment of head and shoulder postures. Consequently, they can also be used for specific rehabilitation tests and applications.