A reproducible representation of healthy tibiofemoral kinematics during stair descent using REFRAME – part I: REFRAME foundations and validation
Abstract In clinical movement biomechanics, kinematic measurements are collected to characterise the motion of articulating joints and investigate how different factors influence movement patterns. Representative time-series signals are calculated to encapsulate (complex and multidimensional) kinema...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86137-1 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832594851857694720 |
|---|---|
| author | Ariana Ortigas-Vásquez William R. Taylor Barbara Postolka Pascal Schütz Allan Maas Matthias Woiczinski Thomas M. Grupp Adrian Sauer |
| author_facet | Ariana Ortigas-Vásquez William R. Taylor Barbara Postolka Pascal Schütz Allan Maas Matthias Woiczinski Thomas M. Grupp Adrian Sauer |
| author_sort | Ariana Ortigas-Vásquez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In clinical movement biomechanics, kinematic measurements are collected to characterise the motion of articulating joints and investigate how different factors influence movement patterns. Representative time-series signals are calculated to encapsulate (complex and multidimensional) kinematic datasets succinctly. Exacerbated by numerous difficulties to consistently define joint coordinate frames, the influence of local frame orientation and position on the characteristics of the resultant kinematic signals has been previously proven to be a major limitation. Consequently, for consistent interpretation of joint motion (especially direct comparison) to be possible, differences in local frame position and orientation must first be addressed. Here, building on previous work that introduced a frame orientation optimisation method and demonstrated its potential to induce convergence towards a consistent kinematic signal, we present the REference FRame Alignment MEthod (REFRAME) that addresses both rotational and translational kinematics, is validated here for a healthy tibiofemoral joint, and allows flexible selection of optimisation criteria to fittingly address specific research questions. While not claiming to improve the accuracy of joint kinematics or reference frame axes, REFRAME does enable a representation of knee kinematic signals that accounts for differences in local frames (regardless of how these differences were introduced, e.g. anatomical heterogeneity, use of different data capture modalities or joint axis approaches, intra- and inter-rater reliability, etc.), as evidenced by peak root-mean-square errors of 0.24° ± 0.17° and 0.03 mm ± 0.01 mm after its implementation. By using a self-contained optimisation approach to systematically re-align the position and orientation of reference frames, REFRAME allows researchers to better assess whether two kinematic signals represent fundamentally similar or different underlying knee motion. The openly available implementation of REFRAME could therefore allow the consistent interpretation and comparison of knee kinematic signals across trials, subjects, examiners, or even research institutes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-af09f90ece7a4077a1642385f060ac29 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-af09f90ece7a4077a1642385f060ac292025-01-19T12:17:48ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111710.1038/s41598-025-86137-1A reproducible representation of healthy tibiofemoral kinematics during stair descent using REFRAME – part I: REFRAME foundations and validationAriana Ortigas-Vásquez0William R. Taylor1Barbara Postolka2Pascal Schütz3Allan Maas4Matthias Woiczinski5Thomas M. Grupp6Adrian Sauer7Research and Development, Aesculap AGLaboratory for Movement Biomechanics, ETH ZurichLaboratory for Movement Biomechanics, ETH ZurichLaboratory for Movement Biomechanics, ETH ZurichResearch and Development, Aesculap AGDepartment of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Musculoskeletal University Center Munich (MUM), Campus Grosshadern, Ludwig Maximilians University MunichResearch and Development, Aesculap AGResearch and Development, Aesculap AGAbstract In clinical movement biomechanics, kinematic measurements are collected to characterise the motion of articulating joints and investigate how different factors influence movement patterns. Representative time-series signals are calculated to encapsulate (complex and multidimensional) kinematic datasets succinctly. Exacerbated by numerous difficulties to consistently define joint coordinate frames, the influence of local frame orientation and position on the characteristics of the resultant kinematic signals has been previously proven to be a major limitation. Consequently, for consistent interpretation of joint motion (especially direct comparison) to be possible, differences in local frame position and orientation must first be addressed. Here, building on previous work that introduced a frame orientation optimisation method and demonstrated its potential to induce convergence towards a consistent kinematic signal, we present the REference FRame Alignment MEthod (REFRAME) that addresses both rotational and translational kinematics, is validated here for a healthy tibiofemoral joint, and allows flexible selection of optimisation criteria to fittingly address specific research questions. While not claiming to improve the accuracy of joint kinematics or reference frame axes, REFRAME does enable a representation of knee kinematic signals that accounts for differences in local frames (regardless of how these differences were introduced, e.g. anatomical heterogeneity, use of different data capture modalities or joint axis approaches, intra- and inter-rater reliability, etc.), as evidenced by peak root-mean-square errors of 0.24° ± 0.17° and 0.03 mm ± 0.01 mm after its implementation. By using a self-contained optimisation approach to systematically re-align the position and orientation of reference frames, REFRAME allows researchers to better assess whether two kinematic signals represent fundamentally similar or different underlying knee motion. The openly available implementation of REFRAME could therefore allow the consistent interpretation and comparison of knee kinematic signals across trials, subjects, examiners, or even research institutes.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86137-1KinematicsCoordinate systemReference frameJoint axisJoint anglesKnee motion |
| spellingShingle | Ariana Ortigas-Vásquez William R. Taylor Barbara Postolka Pascal Schütz Allan Maas Matthias Woiczinski Thomas M. Grupp Adrian Sauer A reproducible representation of healthy tibiofemoral kinematics during stair descent using REFRAME – part I: REFRAME foundations and validation Scientific Reports Kinematics Coordinate system Reference frame Joint axis Joint angles Knee motion |
| title | A reproducible representation of healthy tibiofemoral kinematics during stair descent using REFRAME – part I: REFRAME foundations and validation |
| title_full | A reproducible representation of healthy tibiofemoral kinematics during stair descent using REFRAME – part I: REFRAME foundations and validation |
| title_fullStr | A reproducible representation of healthy tibiofemoral kinematics during stair descent using REFRAME – part I: REFRAME foundations and validation |
| title_full_unstemmed | A reproducible representation of healthy tibiofemoral kinematics during stair descent using REFRAME – part I: REFRAME foundations and validation |
| title_short | A reproducible representation of healthy tibiofemoral kinematics during stair descent using REFRAME – part I: REFRAME foundations and validation |
| title_sort | reproducible representation of healthy tibiofemoral kinematics during stair descent using reframe part i reframe foundations and validation |
| topic | Kinematics Coordinate system Reference frame Joint axis Joint angles Knee motion |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86137-1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT arianaortigasvasquez areproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT williamrtaylor areproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT barbarapostolka areproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT pascalschutz areproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT allanmaas areproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT matthiaswoiczinski areproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT thomasmgrupp areproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT adriansauer areproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT arianaortigasvasquez reproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT williamrtaylor reproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT barbarapostolka reproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT pascalschutz reproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT allanmaas reproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT matthiaswoiczinski reproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT thomasmgrupp reproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation AT adriansauer reproduciblerepresentationofhealthytibiofemoralkinematicsduringstairdescentusingreframepartireframefoundationsandvalidation |