Wearable Sensors in Other Medical Domains with Application Potential for Orthopedic Trauma Surgery-A Narrative Review

Abstract

The use of wearable technology is steadily increasing. In orthopedic trauma surgery, where the musculoskeletal system is directly affected, focus has been directed towards assessing aspects of physical functioning, activity behavior, and mobility/disability. This includes sensors and algorithms to monitor real-world walking speed, daily step counts, ground reaction forces, or range of motion. Several specific reviews have focused on this domain. In other medical fields, wearable sensors and algorithms to monitor digital biometrics have been used with a focus on domain-specific health aspects such as heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen saturation, or fall risk. This review explores the most common clinical and research use cases of wearable sensors in other medical domains and, from it, derives suggestions for the meaningful transfer and application in an orthopedic trauma context.

Keywords: body worn sensor; digital; orthopedic surgery; outcome assessment.

Figure 1

Graphical representation of principal outcome assessed in other fields with application in trauma in relation to the most commonly reported sensor positions (body-worn wearable, left; smartphone, top right; shoe insole, bottom right). Superscript numbers refer to exemplary literature. Graphic created with the help of DALL-E3.