Virtual Reality for Upper Extremity Rehabilitation-A Prospective Pilot Study

Abstract

Applications related to virtual reality are a rapidly growing area. Thus, these technologies are also increasingly used in the field of medicine and rehabilitation. The primary objective of this prospective pilot study was to investigate the feasibility, user experience and acceptance of a virtual-reality-based system for upper extremity rehabilitation. The study was conducted as a single-center trial over 16 weeks. The eligibility criteria included rehabilitants with upper extremity injuries of at least 18 years of age who were fluent in spoken and written German. After detailed instruction, each participant was asked to complete daily 30 min exercises over 15 training sessions with the virtual reality system consisting of three different training modules. Outcomes were assessed pre-study and post-study using standardized clinical measures. In addition, qualitative interviews with rehabilitants as well as therapists regarding user experience and acceptance were conducted. Six participants were recruited for the pilot study, of which five underwent virtual-reality-based rehabilitation. Overall, the clinical measures showed a positive tendency over the course of the study, even if the results were not significant. Furthermore, the virtual-reality-based training was well accepted by the participants as well as therapists. Given these findings, it will be beneficial to evaluate virtual reality for rehabilitation in further research.

Keywords: pilot study; rehabilitation; upper extremity; virtual reality; virtual rehabilitation.

Figure 1

The memory buttons: the different stages of the first task in a three-panel layout. The left panel displays the uncovered alphabet letter pairs, providing an initial view of the task elements. The middle panel shows the covered letters just seconds before the exercise begins, setting the stage for the rehabilitant to engage in the memory task. The right panel captures the moment when a user successfully discovers and uncovers a pair of matching letters, highlighting the primary goal of the task.

Figure 2

The star map: the different stages of the second task in a three-panel layout. The left panel displays the position of several available planets that can be connected during the exercise, providing an overview of the task elements. The middle panel shows two highlighted planets (in red) that are currently active and need to be connected, emphasizing the primary focus of the task. The right panel captures the user´s hand performing the action to connect the two highlighted planets, demonstrating the intended movement and interaction within the virtual environment.

Figure 3

Forward-reaching movement pattern: The different stages of the third task in a two-panel layout. The left panel displays all the available positions of the pairs of hands, which are presented to the user seconds before the start of the exercise, providing an overview of the task elements. The right panel shows one pair of hands in the top-right position, ready to be matched by the user´s hand, demonstrating the intended movement of the task.

Figure 4

The Unified Theory of Technology Acceptance I (UTAUT I) [38].