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Case Reports
. 2017 Aug 10:11:29-36.
doi: 10.2174/1874431101711010029. eCollection 2017.

Fun During Knee Rehabilitation: Feasibility and Acceptability Testing of a New Android-Based Training Device

Thomas Sanjay Weber-Spickschen  1 , Christian Colcuc  1 , Alexander Hanke  1 , Jan-Dierk Clausen  1 , Paul Abraham James  1 , Hauke Horstmann  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Fun During Knee Rehabilitation: Feasibility and Acceptability Testing of a New Android-Based Training Device

Thomas Sanjay Weber-Spickschen et al. Open Med Inform J. .

Abstract

Purpose: The initial goals of rehabilitation after knee injuries and operations are to achieve full knee extension and to activate quadriceps muscle. In addition to regular physiotherapy, an android-based knee training device is designed to help patients achieve these goals and improve compliance in the early rehabilitation period. This knee training device combines fun in a computer game with muscular training or rehabilitation. Our aim was to test the feasibility and acceptability of this new device.

Methods: 50 volunteered subjects enrolled to test out the computer game aided device. The first game was the high-striker game, which recorded maximum knee extension power. The second game involved controlling quadriceps muscular power to simulate flying an aeroplane in order to record accuracy of muscle activation. The subjects evaluated this game by completing a simple questionnaire.

Results: No technical problem was encountered during the usage of this device. No subjects complained of any discomfort after using this device. Measurements including maximum knee extension power, knee muscle activation and control were recorded successfully. Subjects rated their experience with the device as either excellent or very good and agreed that the device can motivate and monitor the progress of knee rehabilitation training.

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first android-based tool available to fast track knee rehabilitation training. All subjects gave very positive feedback to this computer game aided knee device.

Keywords: ARTROMOT® ACTIVE-K; Android-based; Arthroplasty; CAMOped; Computer game; Fast track; Knee; Rehabilitation.

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Figures

Fig. (1)
Fig. (1)
Knee training device with an android-based tablet.
Fig. (2)
Fig. (2)
Start position with training device directly underneath the subject’s knee. The tablet is wirelessly connected to the device through a Bluetooth function.
Fig. (3)
Fig. (3)
High striker game – illustration on the tablet of the maximum reachable power of knee extension.
Fig. (4)
Fig. (4)
Aeroplane flying simulation curve representing the maintenance of knee extension und accuracy of quadriceps muscle control. The generated path should be taken and the balloons should be hit to achieve maximum score.
Fig. (5)
Fig. (5)
The android app automatically generates and saves the details of the training session. These details can be readily accessible for making comparisons and following the progress.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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