North Carolina Biotechnology Translational Research Grant: Optimization of a Precision Measurement Solution for a Tri-Axial Knee Arthrometer. (Co-Is Randy Schmitz and Minjeong Kim)
Assessing knee joint laxity (or “looseness”) can help clinicians screen individuals who may be at greater risk for knee injury, diagnose ligament tears, and assess stability post-surgery and during the healing process. However, clinicians lack confidence in currently available tools to measure knee joint laxity, more often relying on their hands to make this assessment. While “manual stress tests” can effectively assess gross joint instability (when a ligament is fully ruptured), they are too subjective and imprecise for the purposes of injury risk screening, diagnosing partially torn ligaments, and serial assessments of joint health over time. Criticisms of current devices are that they are too limited in scope (only measure knee laxity in one plane of motion) and lack the needed accuracy and reproducibility because they are too difficult to use, require too much training, and do not adequately stabilize the limb within the device. Our overall objective is to develop a knee joint laxity measurement device that accurately measures the “looseness of the knee ligaments” with little time and training. Our objective for this proposal is to develop and optimize the precision measurement system that will be integrated into the device to obtain accurate and repeatable measures. This device is intended to augment the clinician’s manual clinical exam and MRI findings to enhance screening, diagnosis and treatment of knee injuries.
National Science Foundation: A Novel “Smart” Knee Sleeve to Provide Dynamic Motion Restraints — Please see UNCG News Article.