Suzuran Orthopaedics Lab | Dr. Ishii

■ Challenges Before Introducing SPLYZA Motion

Before introducing SPLYZA Motion, there were two major challenges:

1. Accessibility: Since around 2008, motion capture systems had been used for motion analysis. However, the high cost of equipment and time made them impractical for on-site use. While efforts were made to simulate movements that could simultaneously improve athletic performance and prevent injuries using computer simulations and statistical feedback, the lack of practicality in real-world settings highlighted the need for a smartphone-compatible solution.

2. Accuracy: In 2022, an attempt was made to analyze motion in 3D and develop technology to visualize movements prone to causing pain. At the time, "PLASK" was used to estimate 3D coordinates from 2D images. However, issues with instability in foot movements caused noise in the mechanical calculations, leading to accuracy problems in estimating ground reaction force data.

These challenges—accessibility and accuracy—were the primary issues faced before adopting SPLYZA Motion.

■ Reasons for Choosing SPLYZA Motion

The ease of use with smartphones and the precision are key points. Additionally, the user interface is excellent. It’s intuitive and easy to use, even for first-time users, which is a major advantage.

■ Practical Use of SPLYZA Motion

We've only just started using it, so practical application will begin moving forward, but I believe it has potential for use not only in sports but also in rehabilitation and workplace environments across a wide range of fields.

Since my research focuses on sports medicine, my initial motivation to use SPLYZA Motion stemmed from sports. However, as an orthopedic surgeon, I often treat patients who complain of shoulder or back pain in daily practice. In particular, I've found that lower back pain is frequently caused by excessive strain from physical labor.

By using SPLYZA Motion, it becomes possible to identify movements that place strain on the body and provide specific advice, such as "This is how you can prevent back pain." For this reason, I think it could also be beneficial for improving rehabilitation practices and work environments.

Additionally, because our hospital is located near the University of Tsukuba, we often treat athlete patients. Initially, we plan to utilize it as a tool to prevent injury recurrence, aiming to enhance both treatment outcomes and athletes' motivation for training.

■ Feedback from Academic Conferences

When it comes to motion capture, many people still imagine optical systems using markers. However, the fact that movements can be easily visualized using a smartphone garnered significant attention and received an overwhelmingly positive response.

■ Effects After Introducing SPLYZA Motion

Although we've only used it a little so far, I feel the workload has decreased. Previously, most of the processing was done through a PC browser.

There were a lot of steps, like taking a video, transferring it to the computer, uploading it, and so on. With SPLYZA Motion, everything can be done on a smartphone. Moreover, they updated the system to allow downloads in BVH format, making it much more convenient.

Each task feels about 10 minutes faster now. While it's just 10 minutes for one task, when considering this on the scale of 1,000 or 10,000 people, that 10-minute difference becomes substantial.

■ Future Outlook

At our clinic, we plan to first utilize SPLYZA Motion for recurrence prevention guidance and ultimately promote "preventive education" aimed at improving performance while preventing pain, particularly among students.

We also intend to collect various motion data for applications such as recurrence prevention guidance for athletes and treatment simulations for patients with knee pain or obesity. By visualizing the strain on the knees, we can provide specific advice like "avoid sitting on your knees" or "limit stair use." Additionally, we aim to show the impact of obesity on the knees and support patients in setting realistic weight-loss goals.

Furthermore, we plan to make the collected data publicly available on a website and build a system to share it with other clinics. This will contribute to enhancing treatment knowledge nationwide.

Considering that patients often visit orthopedic clinics only after experiencing pain, we aim to eventually promote "preventive education" through e-learning formats. Developing e-learning tools and establishing a framework to support prevention at the ground level is our ultimate goal.