Training and Recovery Augmented with Ultrasound Myography and Assessment (TRAUMA) Using a Flexible Ultrasound-Imaging Patch
Abstract
This (Research Level 1) proposal to the FY19 JPC-8/CRMRP RESTORE award addresses management, treatment, and restoration following Service-related neuromusculoskeletal injury. Specifically, our proposal addresses the Military Health Focus Area of “objective support tools to enable providers to assess function and performance throughout treatment and predict long-term outcomes.” Problem Statement: Improvements in rehabilitation following musculoskeletal injuries can have a significant impact on return to active duty. An important aspect of rehabilitation following injury is the ability to perform dynamic assessment of movement through the synergistic assessment of the function and mechanical properties of skeletal muscles, tendons, and associated soft tissue and utilize such assessments as outcome measures. In a clinical setting, such assessments are typically performed subjectively. In recent years, ultrasonography (US) has shown promise in enabling a more in-depth direct assessment of musculoskeletal function. A number of US-based methods, including our own, have been proposed to quantify the dynamic nature of muscle contraction (and tendon stretch) visible on real-time sonography. In particular, muscle deformation across different dynamic behaviors reflecting uniform or non-uniform muscle characteristics may be useful to quantify disparities between healthy and injured conditions and can be used as an outcome measure for rehabilitation following injury. In addition, real-time ultrasound imaging of muscle deformations can be used as biofeedback for repetitive rehabilitation tasks through virtual reality games. However, despite the significant potential of ultrasonography, chronic implementation of ultrasound imaging and its practical use in rehabilitation is hindered due to the fact that ultrasound transducers are handheld, which induces significant operator dependence. The form factor of commercially available ultrasound transducers prevents it from being readily used during dynamic tasks such as gait or as a biofeedback system for rehabilitation. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop a wearable and hands-free ultrasound system for rehabilitation. Solution: The proposed Training and Recovery Augmented with Ultrasound Myography and Assessment (TRAUMA) research program will develop a soft, stretchable, and wearable adhesive ultrasound sensor for biofeedback and rehabilitation following musculoskeletal injury. Our TRAUMA-US patch will adhere to the skin like a bandage and be operated using a portable, battery-powered imaging and control unit. Our proposed approach can resolve individual muscles deep inside tissue and visualize dynamic activity of different functional compartments while overcoming the challenges of using current commercially available ultrasound transducers. With this system, we can assess dynamic movement of muscle groups as well functional measures like joint forces and muscle fatigue. Relevance to Military Health: Musculoskeletal injury is the most common form of medical injury incurred by Warfighters and results in an impact on quality of life, loss of manpower, and significant socio-economic burden. The proposed TRAUMA-patch is a versatile wearable device that can robustly provide dynamic and real-time images of musculoskeletal tissue in a chronic implementation during physical activity and movement. Therefore, this technology offers significant potential for assessing recovery of muscle function in a variety of anatomical sites such as limbs, back, abdomen, etc., and could facilitate real-time assessment of rehabilitative and therapeutic interventions. Importantly, this technology would allow care providers to tailor the treatment and rehabilitation based on biofeedback, allowing a personalized paradigm of care, which can significantly reduce recovery times for subjects suffering from such injuries. Although the injury sustained by military personnel is the primary fo
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110190
Entities
People
- Parag Chitnis
Organizations
- George Mason University
- United States Army