Although there are so many existing applications and industries that use Tekscan products, it’s always exciting to hear about something new. Our mat systems are frequently used in both clinical and research settings for orthopaedics, physical therapy, sports medicine, product development/testing, and more. However, we recently discovered a group of orthopaedic spinal researchers using MobileMat™ for something we hadn’t seen before.

The Spinal Research Division in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland are currently using MobileMat to help analyze sway and weight-bearing symmetry in pregnant women. Their goal is to confirm the effectiveness of various back braces intended to alleviate spinal discomfort that comes with pregnancy.

We had a chance to speak with the Research Director and Lead Researcher in the group, Dr. Bryan Cunningham and Dr. Kenneth Mullinix, to find out more about how they are using the system, and how they hope to help relieve back discomfort during pregnancy.

Project Details

Following Institutional Review Board Approval (WIRB), the team studied women between the ages of 21 and 38, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 30. Each woman wore an empathy belly (a prosthetic belly that simulates pregnancy) for 30 to 40 minutes and went through an analysis of their center of gravity, weight distribution, and discomfort. They went through the same conditions and analysis while wearing several specially designed back supports and braces to compare shifts in those parameters and discomfort levels. Additionally, they were evaluating the circumferential pressure between the braces and the belly, for which they used Tekscan’s FlexiForce™ sensors to measure.

“There were a number of questions we wanted to answer about these gestational braces. Do they provide anterior lift (i.e. lift weight off the belly)? How do the positions of the braces affect weight distribution and center of gravity? Do those factors alleviate discomfort? The sensitivity of MobileMat helped us answer those questions.” – Bryan W. Cunningham, PhD 

How they used MobileMat

The subjects stood on MobileMat for the researchers while obtaining data on their sway and center of gravity, both before and after wearing the back braces. Subjects wearing the empathy belly stood on the mat, maintained a comfortable stance, and focused on a spot on the wall. They were offered no more coaching than that. They repeated this exercise with the multiple gestational back braces in various positions to monitor shifts in weight distribution, postural adaptations, center of gravity, and discomfort. Center of gravity and weight distribution data were gathered using MobileMat software. Discomfort was measured using a standard VAS (Visual Analog Scale), where subjects would rate their discomfort levels with a number from 0 to 10.

What data was important, and how MobileMat provided that data

As a pregnant woman’s belly grows, their center of gravity shifts, producing postural adaptations and mid- to low-back pain. Important data like center of gravity and weight distribution cannot be obtained visually. Using MobileMat with the Sway Analysis Module (SAM), researchers were able to objectively quantify movement in center of gravity and sway, and correlate that information with discomfort. Back braces and supports are a common orthosis to alleviate back discomfort, but do they actually redistribute weight from the belly and help bring the Center of Gravity back to a neutral position? Equipped with pressure-measuring sensors, MobileMat and the accompanying software provided detailed information that the researchers could use to determine if the brace was actually redistributing the anterior belly weight and center of gravity to a more normal position. 

“The center of gravity readings were highly variable from patient to patient throughout our analysis. Some were an inch forward from normal. We obtained very precise readings from MobileMat that would have otherwise been unknown.”

– Bryan W. Cunningham, PhD 

How/how much they value MobileMat for this research and why they like it

MobileMat provided data that the researchers couldn’t quantify with the naked eye. Sure, they could identify shifts in posture and discomfort, but no objective data on weight distribution and center of gravity to correlate with the other information. This allows them to make important adjustments to the back brace, and better record and track their findings.

Drs. Cunningham and Mullinix especially enjoyed the ease of use of MobileMat and the software, along with the valuable data that they were able to gather. They also found the data visualization helpful when it came time to evaluate and present their research. Precision and pressure sensitivity were paramount for this study, and MobileMat was able to deliver on all fronts.

This is an example of a research group doing something great with one of our systems. MobileMat is helping the team at University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital enhance a product that can relieve lower back discomfort during pregnancy.

To learn more about Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, visit their website: www.medstarunionmemorial.org.

Learn More About MobileMat

Learn More About FlexiForce