Clinical consistency of vibration sense testing: Development of a manikin great toe with embedded accelerometer for testing and training

Horsfield, Ian; Levy, Andy

Abstract

Diabetes is the most common cause of peripheral nerve damage and vibration perception is the first sensory modality affected. A standard tuning fork remains the most widely used tool for assessing vibration perception in clinical practice, however inter-operator differences in the use of this tool vary widely. The authors developed a toe manikin capable of reporting the waveform and intensity of vibration imparted to its surface. Using the manikin, the consistency of vibration applied by a group of doctors using a standard 128-Hz tuning fork, with that delivered by the same operator using VibraTip® (McCallan Medical), were compared. Despite differences in technique, the waveform generated with VibraTip was more consistent than that of the tuning fork. With both devices, however, there was considerable intra-operator variability in recorded amplitude and frequency of vibration. By providing instant feedback, the manikin toe serves as a useful training device to encourage consistency of vibration sense testing.

Citation

Horsfield, I., & Levy, A. (2014). Clinical consistency of vibration sense testing: Development of a manikin great toe with embedded accelerometer for testing and training

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 1, 2014
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2014
• Journal: Diabetic Foot Journal
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 56-63
• Keywords: vibration sense testing, toe, accelerometer
• Publisher URL: http://www.diabetesonthenet.com/journal-content/view/clinical-consistency-of-vibration-sense-testing