Load Monitoring System for Partial Weight Bearing Therapy for rehabilitation of lower extremity fractures

Partial Weight Bearing Therapy (PWB) is used during in rehabilitation of lower-extremity fractures, but optimal outcomes are limited by the paucity of data supporting the current standard of care, the inability of clinicians to assess patients´ compliance to the prescribed therapy, and by the patient´s inability to apply clinical loading guidelines. To address these needs a Load Monitoring System (LMS) was developed using a novel long-term load measuring technology coupled with consumer electronics for storing and reporting of patient limb loading data. The project was planned as a staged effort and the results of the first stage development are presented here. During the first stage of this project, the LMS insole load sensor was developed for 6-week standalone operation. The LMS was subjected to bench-testing, demonstrating low static and dynamic drift.