kiKNEEsio Adaptive Brace -- Adapting to your ACL rehabilitation needs

Team members: Jane Liao, Morgan Saras, Alex Lewis, Kaitlyn Jarry, Adhit Ramamurthi

With a recent rise in sports and physical activity participation amongst youth and young adults, more injuries have been reported between the ages of 15 and 24 years. The knee is the most vulnerable and injury-prone joint, with Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears accounting for upwards of 200,000 injuries per year for this age group in the United States alone. This poses a problem because the ACL alone provides 90% of knee joint stability.

The purpose of our solution is to provide a knee brace used during ACL reconstruction recovery to inform patients and clinicians of knee ranges of motion while providing adaptable levels of support during exercise. Compared to current brace solutions, this solution innovates by providing multi-level of support, containing real-time electric feedback, and offering detachable components for personalized support. An underlying compressive mesh supports the knee from all directions. External h

inges inhibit unsafe ranges of motion such as hyperextension and internal tibial rotation via mechanical limits. Electronics integrated into the hinges measure joint angles and provide vibrational feedback when the user encroaches upon unsafe motions. Lastly, detachable elastic components mimic joint taping techniques to support specific knee structures necessitated by each patient’s rehabilitation program.

Bench tests including material fatigue, range of motion, and compression pressure have verified the device meets specifications for withstanding repeated use, preventing unsafe knee movements, and providing support and pain relief. Additionally, electrical components have been proven to calculate joint angles within 2 degrees and to deliver vibrational feedback and numerical data to a user-friendly iPhone application for tracking progress. In conclusion, the kiKNEEsio Adaptive Brace provides adaptable levels of support while supplying range of motion feedback and data to the user. This will, in turn, reduce the rate of re-injury during exercise following ACL reconstruction and allow for quicker return to activity.

Видео kiKNEEsio Adaptive Brace -- Adapting to your ACL rehabilitation needs канала Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University