Dynamic Perturbation Training System for ACL Rehabilitation

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant Anterior cruciate ligament ACL injuries are a significant problem for athletes and the prevalence has increased exponentially due to the fold increase in sports participation by women Despite demonstrated ability to decrease injury rates through the use of neuromuscular training programs the incidence of ACL injuries remains high due to poor adoption and subsequent integration of these programs into traditional strength and performance training routines Ideally a prophylactic training program would incorporate training features that address both intrinsic and extrinsic factors associated with ACL injury risk without increasing athlete training time supervision or specialized training requirements for the coach Perturbation training in particular has been shown to cause adaptation in the sensorimotor system and restoration of normal neuromuscular coordination that results in improved dynamic postural stability postural control and enhanced muscle activation patterns that actively stabilize the knee during unanticipated movements To date adoption of perturbation training has been limited because it requires specialized equipment additional training time and additional resources The Principal Objective of this Phase IIB SBIR project is to complete product development and demonstrate usability in the field of a cost effective and fully automated perturbation platform that improves an athleteandapos s neuromuscular response due to unanticipated perturbations for the prevention of ACL injuries PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE More than Anterior Cruciate Ligament ACL injuries occur annually in the US and approximately of these are non contact related There are a disproportionate number of injuries in female athletes when compared to their male counterparts with females having a times higher incidence rate than males and increased from to per person years from to The largest increases over this time period occurred in female athletes younger than years and likely related to the increase in female participation in high school and college sports For each ACL injury the lifetime costs can range from $ to over $ depending on surgical and non surgical interventions Due to other structural damage to the knee that often accompanies ACL injuries of ACL injured patients will eventually show radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis OA requiring additional costs and potential surgeries Despite demonstrated ability to decrease injury rates through the use of neuromuscular training programs the incidence of ACL injuries remains high The technology developed here represents a translation of validated clinic based training approach for ACL rehabilitation to a system more suited for widespread use for ACL prevention