Wearable Ultrasound Sensors for Neuromuscular Monitoring After Injury

Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) remain a leading cause of physical impairment and lost time across athletic, military, and general populations. Despite advancements in rehabilitation science and medical imaging, a critical gap persists in tools capable of delivering dynamic, muscle-level insights during functional movement and recovery. This dissertation addresses that gap through the interdisciplinary development and validation of wearable ultrasound technology for real-time neuromuscular monitoring across the injury and rehabilitation continuum. Integrating methodologies from biomedical engineering, sports science, human-centered design, and clinical research, this work explores the intersection of tissue-level imaging, biomechanical load assessment, and functional performance monitoring. A custom-built, multi-sensor ultrasound system was engineered using principles of time-delay spectrometry (TDS) and nonnegative matrix factorization (NNMF) to decompose M-mode ultrasound signals and extract real-time muscle activity signatures. Signal outputs were benchmarked against gold-standard biomechanical measures, including isometric ground reaction force, countermovement jump kinetics, and isokinetic torque. Statistical models—such as hierarchical linear modeling and machine learning regression—were applied to examine relationships between sensor-derived features, anatomical adaptations, and subjective recovery indices. Findings demonstrate that wearable ultrasound can detect asymmetries and neuromuscular adaptations not captured by conventional clinical assessments, enabling earlier identification of reinjury risk and more personalized rehabilitation strategies. This research lays a foundational framework for the continued development and clinical translation of wearable ultrasound technologies. By bridging gaps between static imaging, biomechanical analytics, and real-time functional monitoring, it contributes to a new paradigm in musculoskeletal injury management—one that is continuous, responsive, and grounded in interdisciplinary innovation.

Author

• King, Erica LeeAnne

Identifier

hdl:1920/14817

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:MARS:1920/14817