New wearable walking-type continuous passive motion device for postsurgery walking rehabilitation

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Technology
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common treatment for knee osteoarthritis.
• Effective post-operative rehabilitation is crucial for TKA success and reducing hospitalization.
• Existing rehabilitation methods may lack sufficient assistive technology for optimal patient recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an assistive device for post-TKA patients to enhance walking rehabilitation.
• To explore the potential of the device in shortening patient hospitalization periods.
• To investigate the impact of the developed assistive system on gait parameters.

Main Methods:

• Development of the knee assistive instrument for walking rehabilitation (KAI-R), incorporating an assistive knee mechanism, hip support, and foot pressure sensors.
• Analysis of gait parameters (peak knee flexion, foot height, walking velocity) in TKA patients pre- and post-operation, and in a healthy control group.
• Testing of the KAI-R system on healthy volunteers to evaluate its effect on gait and range of motion.

Main Results:

• The KAI-R system demonstrated an increase in peak knee flexion angle and foot height in healthy volunteers.
• The device showed potential for improving knee joint range of motion.
• A decrease in walking velocity was observed, attributed to reaction delay and balance adjustments when using KAI-R.

Conclusions:

• The KAI-R shows promise as a tool for gait improvement in post-TKA rehabilitation.
• Further clinical trials are warranted to validate its efficacy in actual patient populations.
• The device highlights the need for advanced training aids in post-operative recovery.