The Nintendo® Wii Fit Balance Board can be used as a portable and low-cost posturography system with good agreement compared to established systems

Background!#!Almost all epidemiological studies over the past 40 years have determined that the incidence of fragility fractures is increasing. Therefore, the assessment of postural stability and monitoring any progress during balance training for geriatric patients to prevent falls are becoming more important. The Nintendo!##!Methods!#!This prospective study analyzed the diagnostic value of the Wii Fit Balance Board in 41 healthy subjects using two measurements: the yoga task 'tree,' which is performed in one-leg stance; and the balance game 'table tilt.' Our investigation compared these tasks to two established, regularly used systems, the MFT-S3 Check and the Posturomed, by looking for correlation and agreement, using Bland-Altman plots, as well as for differences to demographic data. All measurement tools were also compared to the Sensory Organization Test-the gold standard for detecting impaired balance.!##!Results!#!We found a moderate correlation between the yoga exercise 'tree' and the Sensory Organization Test (correlation coefficient r = 0.514, p = 0.001) as well as the MFT-S3 Check (r = 0.356-0.472, p = 0.002-0.022) and the Posturomed (r = 0.345, p = 0.027). However, results from the balance game 'table tilt' did not show a significant correlation with those of the systems to which we compared it (p = 0.301-0.953).!##!Conclusions!#!According to the literature, the raw data from the Wii Fit Balance Board are comparable to that obtained by laboratory-grade force platforms. We have found, however, that the yoga pose 'tree,' as integrated into the Nintendo!##!Level of evidence!#!2b

Do hip-abduction braces work?—A biomechanical evaluation of a commercially available hip brace

Introduction!#!Dislocations of the hip joint are a common and clinically relevant complication following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Hip-abduction braces are currently used following operative or non-operative treatment of THA dislocations to prevent re-dislocations. However, the clinical and biomechanical effectiveness of such braces is still controversial.!##!Material and methods!#!A total of 30 volunteers were measured during standing and during sitting up and down from a chair task wearing a hip brace set at 70°, 90° or no hip flexion limitation. Range of motion of the hip joint was measured in all directions by an inertial sensor system. Further it has been evaluated if the range of motion would be reduced by the additional use of an arthrodesis cushion.!##!Results!#!The use of a hip brace set up with flexion limitation did reduce hip ROM in all directions significantly compared to unhinged brace (p < 0.001-0.035). Performing the 'sit down and stand-up task' the brace set up at 70° flexion limitation did reduce maximum hip flexion significantly (p = 0.008). However, in most cases the measured hip flexion angles were greater than the settings of the hip brace should have allowed. The additional use of a cushion can further limit hip motion while sitting up and down from a chair.!##!Conclusion!#!This study has demonstrated that hip-abduction braces reduce hip range of motion. However, we also found that to achieve a flexion limitation of the hip to 90°, the hip brace should be set at a 70° hip flexion limitation