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.