News — Baltimore, MD – Two entities, the at the and the , are now using . This computerized evaluation tool provides real-time analysis on the knee while it is in motion by combining artificial intelligence and machine learning, where the computer system can improve its performance by continuously incorporating new data.
Developed by , the KneeKG provides valuable information for the knee as an EKG does for the heart. This enables healthcare professionals to determine the causes of knee pain and develop individual care plans for each patient to correct biomechanical dysfunction so patients can live active lives again.
LifeBridge Health is one of the first facilities in the United States to use this new technology. The teams will utilize the KneeKG system in the Gait Laboratory at Sinai Hospital, starting with advanced clinical studies and research on knee health and then expanding its use to patient care.
“Knee pain is a very common ailment, and it is important to determine what’s causing the pain in order to treat it effectively. With the KneeKG, we are now able to evaluate the knee while it is in motion, which is critical because many people only feel pain when their knee is moving and weight-bearing,” explains Ronald Delanois, M.D., chairman of orthopedic surgery at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics at LifeBridge Health.
He adds, “This new system provides us more detailed and granular data that we have not had before. Analyzing the motion of the knee in real time gives us comprehensive information about its potential instabilities and deeper biomechanics, such as angles and displacement of the joint. We are eager to see how this can aid our clinical research division and add another layer of insight and validity to our studies.”
To evaluate patients with the KneeKG, the team installs an exoskeleton on the knee and calibrates the system The patient then walks on a treadmill as markers send data into the computer, which creates an animated 3D simulation of the knee in motion and a detailed assessment of the knee. This analysis, which includes dynamic alignment and other mechanical deficits, helps the researchers and care providers to understand what may be causing the knee pain and/or how far a particular condition or injury has progressed.
“When creating a care plan for patients, accurate and timely information is vital. Introducing the KneeKG provides another tool for our therapists to more efficiently and effectively diagnose knee pain to improve strength, flexibility, balance, and, ultimately, mitigate knee pain,” explains Scott Brown, M.D., medical director of the Sinai Rehabilitation Center at LifeBridge Health.
According to Emovi, the FDA-cleared KneeKG system is “the first clinically validated tool that meets the global needs of clinicians for objective and quantifiable bio¬mechanical markers linked to pain and instabilities of an orthopedic cause.” The company says that “the clinical data extracted from the computerized assessment defines the exact mechanical issue within the knee, giving healthcare professionals the medically necessary information to enhance treatment decision-making and address the impaired biomechanical markers.”
Anil Bhave, PT, clinical director of orthopedic rehab and the Gait Lab at Sinai, concludes, “By providing a functional and objective knee assessment with a higher correlation to the symptoms, we believe the KneeKG will enable clinicians to develop a more focused treatment plan for pain that may be associated with conditions such as osteoarthritis, anterior knee pain and ligament injuries.”
LifeBridge Health is now recruiting patients for a research study using the KneeKG System to evaluate the design and function of two knee replacement systems. For more information or to enroll in the study, email [email protected]
See the KneeKG in action:
About The Wasserman Gait Analysis Laboratory at Sinai Rehabilitation Center
The is a sophisticated motion lab within the Division of Rehabilitation Engineering with facilities to perform marker and marker-less 3D motion analysis, as well as kinetic analysis using force plates and a foot pressure measuring system. In addition, the laboratory has a 16-channel electromyography system to measure muscle activation patterns.
The gait lab houses an advanced treadmill system that can measure human walking not only on a level surface but also in incline or decline position. The Division of Rehabilitation Engineering recently added the capacity to do 3D printing to create customized assistive solutions for patients.
About The Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics
is home to renowned orthopedic surgeons who provide state-of-the-art orthopedic treatment for both children and adults.
Part of LifeBridge Health, the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics provides services at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Northwest Hospital, and several convenient satellite locations throughout the greater Baltimore region. The Rubin Institute’s medical team of more than 250 professionals performs approximately 4,500 orthopedic procedures and conducts more than 47,000 office visits annually.
With access to operating rooms and highly specialized teams that exclusively practice orthopedics, the Rubin Institute offers the advantages of a "hospital within a hospital." Patients receive the full continuum of care, including initial consultations, surgical and non-surgical services, hospital stay, and inpatient and outpatient physical therapy.
About Emovi Inc.
Headquartered in Montreal, is a healthare innovation company whose mission is to shape the future of knee care to help patients live active lives again. . In partnership with the Quebec university research community, including the CRCHUM, École de Technologie supérieure (ÉTS), and TELUQ, Emovi completed the development of the KneeKGTM, an FDA 510K cleared, Health Canada licensed and CE Marked medical device appropriate for assessing the 3D motion of the knee for patients who have impaired movement functions of an orthopedic cause. The technique is described as a Knee Kinesiography exam.
The KneeKGTM is the first clinically validated tool specifically designed to meet the global needs of clinicians for objective and quantified biomechanical markers in order to provide appropriate biomechanical correctives. Just as vital organs, such as the heart or kidneys, are examined to determine disease and dysfunctions, the KneeKG assesses and documents the knee function and highlights any biomechanical dysfunction. With the specified data from the KneeKG system, healthcare professionals can help their patients achieve pain reduction, improved treatment(s), and better outcomes, which will improve patient satisfaction and quality of life.
The computerized assessment based on AI/Machine Learning provides valuable clinical data about biomechanical dysfunction, including dynamic alignment, to better understand knee pain and patients' symptoms. In addition, the KneeKG App+TM provides valuation information to determine appropriateness to total knee arthroplasty (with a positive/negative score).
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