SBIR Phase I: Developing a Pivoting-sliding Elliptical Machine for Knee Injury Prevention/Rehabilitation

This SBIR Phase I research project will develop a controllable and measurable knee training system with a novel pivoting and sliding mechanism, which trains patients to improve neuromuscular control in off-axis motions of pivoting and sliding. This pivoting and sliding mechanism can be potentially implemented on many existing exercise machines (elliptical machine, step machine and bicycle exerciser) as a training accessory. As a powerful clinical evaluation tool, this system also benefits the current study of knee injury prevention and rehabilitation. Among those injuries, the knee is one of the most easily injured body areas, with injuries to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) as the most frequent problem overall followed by the PatelloFemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS). In most cases the knee injury involves the entire lower limb and trunk, so it is more effective and efficient to train the whole lower limb, instead of an individual joint. The proposed unique neuromuscular training system on the pivoting-sliding mechanism has significant potential for rehabilitation after ACL and PFPS injury prevention/reduction. It is especially important to provide the patients a scientific evaluation and make them recover efficiently after their surgeries. It can be used widely in rehabilitation centers for lower limb rehabilitation and ACL injury prevention. This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).