Comparison between two mobile applications measuring shoulder elevation angle–A validity and feasibility study

Abstract Pain in the shoulder complex affects the working population where work with elevated arms is a risk factor. The aim of the present study was to compare a mobile application for measurements of arm elevation, ErgoExposure, against an existing mobile application, ErgoArmMeter, in a laboratory setting and to test the feasibility in a field trial. Eleven persons performed three tasks in the laboratory setting: static, dynamic, and simulated work tasks, where the applications were validated against an optical tracking system (OTS). Also, ErgoExposure was tested by a teacher in a real-world situation. Limits of agreement for the static task varied between -6.1° to 4.2° (ErgoExposure) and between -7.6° to 5.2° (ErgoArmMeter). The average root mean square difference for dynamic and simulated work tasks was 3.4° (ErgoExposure) and 7.7° (ErgoArmMeter). From the field trial, different work tasks produced distinct exposure variation analysis patterns. Both apps showed similar results compared to OTS, but ErgoExposure was more accurate than ErgoArmMeter.