Biomechanical and Clinical Evaluation of the Levitation Knee Brace

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating musculoskeletal disease affecting approximately 1/3 of Canadians over the age of 25. Knee braces are often prescribed for OA patients to restore joint function and reduce pain in an attempt to avoid or delay knee replacement surgery. Most braces are designed to offload one side of the knee, however, more than 95% of knee OA patients have OA that affects more than one compartment of their joint. Spring Loaded Technology has designed the Levitation Tri-Compartment Unloader knee brace to reduce forces in all three compartments of the knee. This study aims to determine how effectively the brace offloads the knee joint, and how brace use affects clinical outcomes, like pain and quality of life, in patients with multi-compartmental knee OA. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Janet Ronsky

Student:

Emily Bishop

Partner:

Spring Loaded Technology

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

Program: