Title Two-year continuous data capture using a wearable sensor to remotely monitor the surgical spine patient: a case report.
Author Fonseka, R Dineth; Natarajan, Pragadesh; Maharaj, Monish M; Rooke, Kaitlin; Mobbs, Ralph J
Journal J Spine Surg Publication Year/Month 2022-Mar
PMID 35441110 PMCID PMC8990385
Affiliation + expend 1.Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

We report the case of a 46-year-old male with long-standing low back pain who presented with a deterioration of symptoms characterised by back and right leg pain corresponding to the L4 and L5 dermatomes. An MRI scan revealed severe central and lateral recess stenosis at L4/5 secondary to a large central disc protrusion. We remotely monitored activity and general health metrics over a time-period exceeding two years. This is the first study to monitor these metrics remotely and continuously in the surgical spine patient. Over this time, he received several interventions including a spinal cord stimulator implant, and an L4/5 microdiscectomy. We tracked his fluctuating health status using the Oura Ring [objectively measuring metrics including step count, sleep patterns, heart rate (HR), heart-rate variability (HRV), and respiratory rate (RR)] and with daily self-reported scores on the Visual Analogue Scale. The Oura Ring is a convenient and lightweight wearable device that is worn on any finger. Taken together, metrics provided a comprehensive picture of deterioration and recovery, paralleling key events in the patient\'s history. The use of wearable devices is feasible in enabling long-term remote continuous monitoring. This may assist surgeons and rehabilitation providers in identifying early deterioration and monitoring the post-intervention course of recovery.

  • Copyright © 2023
    National Institute of Pathogen Biology, CAMS & PUMC, Bejing, China
    All rights reserved.