Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Training System (ORTos) for Improved Patient Compliance and Rehabilitation Monitoring in Lower Extremity Trauma
Abstract
The effectiveness of rehabilitation in lower extremity bone fracture healing frequently relies on limb immobilization with gradual increase of load on the recovering limb, called Partial Weight Bearing (PWB) therapy. The effectiveness of PWB is limited by the patient’s ability to comply with extremity load control prescription and by a lack of data-based, clinically validated methods to provide effective biofeedback information to patients. The objective of this project is to fabricate and clinically validate an effective, practical, reliable, and inexpensive biofeedback system that will provide information to patients undergoing PWB therapy. This information will help them comply with load limitation targets in rehabilitation with PWB. The system that will be used in this proposed study is the Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Training System (ORToS), based on the novel load measurement technology already developed and validated by our group in patients recovering from tibial and ankle fractures. In this proposed study, we will develop the pilot fabrication processes, evaluate the ORToS in healthy volunteers, and conduct a clinical study to demonstrate the effect of underfoot load biofeedback on a patient’s ability to comply with partial weight bearing control during rehabilitation of lower extremity fractures. The primary outcome will be the assessment of patient’s ability to maintain prescribed target load in the feedback and no-feedback group. The project will be conducted at Department of Bioengineering and the University Orthopaedic Center and will be completed within 2-year period.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 15, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2010266
Entities
People
- Tomasz Petelenz
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Utah