Assessment of shoulder function using an arm mounted sensor
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The assessment of shoulder function using an arm mounted sensor
IRAS ID
364440
Contact name
Sanjeeve Sabharwal
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 31 days
Research summary
Shoulder disorders are among the most common musculoskeletal conditions and a frequent cause of pain, disability, and loss of function. Accurate assessment of shoulder movement is important for diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring recovery. Conventional assessment methods rely on clinical examination and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). While these approaches provide valuable information, they may not fully capture the quality or extent of shoulder motion, clinical examinations require “in person” assessments, and identifying changes over time can be challenging. PROMs can be limited by ceiling effects.
Wearable inertial sensors provide an opportunity to measure movement objectively. These lightweight, non-invasive devices can record acceleration and angular velocity to generate data on movement patterns, fluidity and speed of movement, and range of motion. The feasibility and acceptability of their use in routine clinical practice, and the relationship of the output from these sensors to current assessments, remains to be established.
This observational study will assess the use of a Movella Dot wearable sensor for the objective evaluation of shoulder function in adults with shoulder pathology. Participants will be recruited from orthopaedic outpatient clinics at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Each participant will wear a small sensor positioned on the upper arm, just above the elbow, and perform a short series of standardised shoulder movements. They will also undergo a routine clinical examination and complete a set of questionnaires, including validated PROMs for shoulder function, general health, pain severity, and satisfaction.
The entire assessment will take approximately 20 minutes. All data will be anonymised and stored securely on the Trust intranet.
Findings from this study will determine the feasibility, acceptability, and potential clinical utility of wearable sensors in the assessment of shoulder pathology. The results may inform future larger-scale validation studies and support the integration of objective motion analysis into routine orthopaedic and rehabilitation practice.
REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/PR/0777
Date of REC Opinion
2 Jul 2026
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion