Fraunhofer Center for Assistive Information and Communication Solutions – AICOSDescription:
Osteoarthritis is a progressive musculoskeletal disorder characterized by gradual loss of articular cartilage. It is the most common cause of long-term disability for people over 65 due to the aging process that reduces the ability of the cartilaginous tissue to withstand loads and stresses.
Total Knee Replacement (TKR) is a commonly performed surgical procedure indicated for patients affected by severe knee osteoarthritis which consists in replacing the damaged knee joint with an artificial knee implant. After surgery, rehabilitation, with an emphasis on physiotherapy and exercise, is widely promoted and is essential to improve the chances for long-term success. There are several exercises indicated to optimize the rehabilitation process, including range-of-motion exercises, progressive muscle-strengthening exercises, body awareness and balance training, and activity-specific training to patient’s specific needs.
This thesis focuses on investigating and implementing several rehabilitation exercises indicated for patients that underwent a Total Knee Replacement using inertial sensors.
Author: Sara Oliveira
Type: MSc thesis
Partner: Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto
Year: 2017
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