Markerless Motion Capture Parameters Associated with Fall Risk or Frailty: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Frailty (a syndrome resulting in reduced physical function) assessments and fall risk assessments rely heavily on in-person evaluations and subjective interpretation, limiting scalability and access. Markerless motion capture (MMC) offers a promising solution for remote, objective assessment, but key kinematic parameters associated with frailty and fall risk remain unclear. This scoping review synthesized evidence from MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL (inception to October 2024). Eligible studies used MMC to assess adults and compared outcomes to validated frailty or fall risk measures. Of 8048 studies, 39 met the inclusion criteria: 30 evaluated fall risk, 7 evaluated frailty, and 2 evaluated both, including 3114 participants (mean age 75.8; 42% male). Microsoft Kinect was used in 75% of the studies. An average of 23 features was extracted per study. Gait analysis was the most common MMC assessment for fall risk, identifying gait speed, stride length, and step width as key parameters. Frailty-related features were less consistent, with two studies identifying power, speed degradation, power reduction, range of motion, and elbow flexion time during a 20 s arm test. Future studies require standardization of methods and improved reporting of data loss. Despite the emerging nature of the field, MMC shows potential for the identification of fall risk and frailty.