The ReHAB Project
Our Work
Based on your specific disorder and/or phase of rehabilitation you will be directed to the most appropriate phase within the project. Within the ReHAB project there are 4 primary phases, each with a specific goal (see below for details) to optimise the evaluation and treatment of your condition. Following an initial consultation you will be directed to the most appropriate phase and progress from there.
01
Injury-risk mitigation
Injury-risk mitigation aims to understand various injury mechanisms and implement evidence-based evaluations and intervention strategies to palliate the occurrences of injuries
02
Post-injury treatment
Once an injury has occurred, both acute and chronic post-injury treatment is necessary to maximise the likelihood of optimal recovery both physically and psychologically.
03
Performance enhancement
The goal of the performance enhancement phase is to extract and operationalise relevant data on training and rehabilitation such that the individual may reach, and even surpass, their pre-injury status
04
Functional re-integration
The next phase is to ensure functional re-integration by optimising the ability to return to work or play, maintaining or improving this ability in the long term, and monitoring adherence by evaluating metrics related to sleep, nutrition, training, lifestyle, and injury
General Workflow
Below is an example of the general workflow used to evaluate the most appropriate ReHAB phase to enter. The final choice is dependent on the outcome of the eligibility screening as well as the discretion of the practitioner.
Low-Cost Equipment and Tools
For the purpose of this project we will be making use of several low-cost technologies, each of which is explained in greater detail below.
Strain Gauge
This device, depending on the make and model, allows for the measurement tensile and compressive forces. It is an excellent alternative for evaluating isometric muscle strength across almost all joints.
OpenCap
The first app of its kind that allows for markerless motion capture together with kinetic and kinematic data using 2 (or more) iPads or iPhones. The potential for opening up biomechanical data in various clinical settings is almost boundless.
MyJump2 App
An amazing app that works on Andriod and iOS devices. It has been validated many times across numerous sports and age ranges. Although its use is dominated by performance-based research, it shows potential for evaluating and tracking injury.
Gold Standard Equipment
To evaluate the validity and reliability of the low-cost alternatives we make use of gold -standard equipment. Each of these are also described in greater detail below.
Motion Capture
To truly evaluate the joint kinematics associated with all kinds of movements, 3D motion capture allows for sub-millimeter precision. In our laboratory we use the Qualisys motion capture system against which the low-cost alternatives are compared.
Isokinetic Dynamometry
The evaluation of muscle strength, whether isometrically or dynamically, the isokinetic dynamometer is considered the gold-standard. We use this to validate the strain-gauge across different positions, movements, and joints.
Force Plates
We produce all kinds of forces in order to initiate or seize movements. Force plates are an excellent tool to measure and record such movements and the technology associated with this is progressing at an astronomical rate. We use this to validate the MyJump2 app for a variety of conditions.
Putting it all together
Below is just a brief overview of how all of these elements (i.e. low-cost vs. high-tech) all work together to enhance the evaluation of those with MSD's. We believe that our research will make a substantial contribution to enhancing the effectiveness and accuracy of clinicians and practitioners across multiple domains of rehabilitation and performance.
Based on the figure below we try to show that each tool will play an important role within each phase of rehabilitation/performance as defined within the ReHAB project. We hope that the tools will provide greater insights for both athletes and practitioners, although the extent to which this is true is part of the aim of the research.
