Quantitative Assessment of Bilateral Upper-Limb Kinematics During Activities of Daily Living Using an Optoelectronic Motion-Capture System

Background: Quantitative assessment of upper-limb movement during activities of daily living may complement conventional clinical scales and provide objective information on joint coordination. Methods: Three-dimensional upper-limb kinematics were recorded in 38 healthy right-handed adults using a four-camera Qualisys optoelectronic motion-capture system operating at 100 Hz. Thirty-six reflective markers were used to model the trunk, upper arms, forearms, and hands. Participants performed five repetitions of eating and cutting tasks. Following quality control, data from 33 participants were analyzed for eating and data from 28 participants for cutting. Joint-angle trajectories were time-normalized and descriptively analyzed for both upper limbs. Results: During eating, the dominant elbow presented the largest flexion–extension range of motion, 55 ± 22°, followed by shoulder flexion–extension, 34 ± 17°, and wrist flexion–extension, 21 ± 12°. During cutting, elbow flexion–extension showed the largest range of motion in both the dominant and non-dominant limbs, 63 ± 18° and 61 ± 18°, respectively. Pronation–supination exhibited marked between-participant variability. Conclusions: Optoelectronic motion capture enabled the characterization of bilateral upper-limb kinematics across predefined phases of functional tasks, while joint-angle ranges of motion were quantified over the complete activity. The results provide preliminary reference patterns and support further studies comparing healthy participants with individuals with neurological or musculoskeletal impairments.