A usability study between a simple and a gamified serious game environment is presented to supports therapeutic exercises for patients with hip replacement. The first one was developed in JavaScript and the second one in Unity 3D. The level of realism of the games is higher in the latter than in the former implementation. Both use a motion detection device to capture the flexion points of each body articulation. 30 subjects tested the usability of the environments while patients perform the hip abduction exercise through the System Usability Scale. Results showed a good appreciation for the first environment and an excellent appreciation for the second environment. It suggests that a realistic game-based implementation of therapeutic exercises increases the engagement of the patients.

1. Serious-games-based exercises
for arthroplasty rehabilitation

2. Authors
Jorge-Luis Pérez-Medina*,1, Patricio-David Espinosa-Alvarez1, Karina Jimenes-Vargas1, Patricia
Acosta-Vargas2, Yves Rybarczyk2
1 Intelligent and Interactive Systems Lab (SI2 Lab). Universidad de Las Américas. Quito, Ecuador
{jorge.perez.medina, patricio.espinosa, karina.jimenes, patricia.acosta}@udla.edu.ec
2 Faculty of Data and Information Sciences, Dalarna University. Falum. Sweden
yry@du.se
* Corresponding author

3. Abstract
A usability study between a simple and a gamified serious game
environment is presented to supports therapeutic exercises for
patients with hip replacement
30 subjects tested the usability of the environments while patients
perform the hip abduction exercise through the System Usability Scale.
Results showed a good appreciation for the first environment and an
excellent appreciation for the second environment

4. Background
ePHoRt is a web-based infrastructure facilitating the remote planning,
monitoring of the patient’s rehabilitation activities after hip
replacement surgery
The gamification approach is justified by the assumption that a didactic
and an entertaining environment should enhance the use of the
platform and the completion of the therapeutic programs proposed by
the physiotherapist

5. The gamified environments

6. The gamamified environments

7. Usability evaluation
The usability of both game environments was studied through the
System Usability Scale (SUS)
30 Participants without previous experience with serious games
– Ages between 20 and 25 years old
– 21 men (or 70%)

8. Evaluation results
Average score of the participant answers
Average scores for SUS questions

9. Discussion
The participants were not completely confident with the JavaScript
environment
We are aware that the gamified environment in JavaScript has a greater
complexity and in some cases the integration of the Kinect device with
the web platform may require specialized assistance

10. Conclusion
Serious games allow patients to perform their rehabilitation exercises
in an entertaining and comfortable way
Our gamification approach seems to enhance the motivation and the
confidence of the patient for using a computer-assisted rehabilitation.

11. Jorge-Luis Pérez-Medina, Patricio-David Espinosa-Alvarez, Karina
Jimenes-Vargas, Patricia Acosta-Vargas, Yves Rybarczyk
jorge.perez.medina@udla.edu.ec
Thanks