We Got What You Knee'd: EMG-sensor Knee Brace to Track Quadricep Muscle Activity following ACL Rupture
Format
SOECS Senior Project Demonstration
Faculty Mentor Name
Seyedeh Khatami Firoozabadi
Faculty Mentor Department
Department of Bioengineering
Additional Faculty Mentor Name
Jeremy Hanlon
Additional Faculty Mentor Department
Department of Engineering
Additional Faculty Mentor Name
James Hetrick
Additional Faculty Mentor Department
Department of Data Science
Additional Mentors
Christina Brekelmans, cbrekelmans@csum.edu, Athletic Trainer
Doug Modlin, dmodlin@gmail.com, Industrial Advisor
Abstract/Artist Statement
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most commonly injured ligament in the knee. In the US, over 250,000 individuals are affected by ACL injuries yearly, with healthcare costs totaling over 2 billion dollars. The reinjury rate can be as high as 20%, and improper rehabilitation post-surgery has been a postulated source of reinjury due to the largely subjective nature of rehabilitation. The rehabilitation progression is highly dependent on the athlete’s discretion, leading to a subjective analysis and potentially inaccurate interpretation. Herein, we’ve assembled a knee brace that incorporates electromyography to calculate quantitative assessments. The knee brace can be worn by the affected athlete to produce a voltage reading of the muscle activity occurring in the vastus medialis oblique (VMO), a quadricep muscle group essential for knee stabilization and the main source of atrophy from ACL surgery. The ability of the VMO to induce high muscle recruitment in contraction directly correlates to the knee’s stability and consequently, the athlete’s readiness to return. Among common EMG data extraction methods, the root mean square (RMS) has been found to be most effective for real-time human muscular activity estimation. By analyzing the RMS and quantifying the activity level of the VMO muscle, physical therapists can institute a more linear and data-based rehabilitation plan to aid the athlete in a safe, and timely return. A real-time RMS amplitude analysis was conducted for an athlete suffering from ACL-rupture, and a difference of 47.8% was found between the intact and injured knee, where the average RMS calculated for the intact and injured knee was 0.679 mV and 0.418 mV. The result highlighted a significant distinction in muscle activity, demonstrating the potential for the device to monitor valuable EMG information for rehabilitation training.
Location
Chambers Technology Center, 3601 Pacific Ave, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
Start Date
6-5-2023 2:30 PM
End Date
6-5-2023 4:30 PM
We Got What You Knee'd: EMG-sensor Knee Brace to Track Quadricep Muscle Activity following ACL Rupture
Chambers Technology Center, 3601 Pacific Ave, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most commonly injured ligament in the knee. In the US, over 250,000 individuals are affected by ACL injuries yearly, with healthcare costs totaling over 2 billion dollars. The reinjury rate can be as high as 20%, and improper rehabilitation post-surgery has been a postulated source of reinjury due to the largely subjective nature of rehabilitation. The rehabilitation progression is highly dependent on the athlete’s discretion, leading to a subjective analysis and potentially inaccurate interpretation. Herein, we’ve assembled a knee brace that incorporates electromyography to calculate quantitative assessments. The knee brace can be worn by the affected athlete to produce a voltage reading of the muscle activity occurring in the vastus medialis oblique (VMO), a quadricep muscle group essential for knee stabilization and the main source of atrophy from ACL surgery. The ability of the VMO to induce high muscle recruitment in contraction directly correlates to the knee’s stability and consequently, the athlete’s readiness to return. Among common EMG data extraction methods, the root mean square (RMS) has been found to be most effective for real-time human muscular activity estimation. By analyzing the RMS and quantifying the activity level of the VMO muscle, physical therapists can institute a more linear and data-based rehabilitation plan to aid the athlete in a safe, and timely return. A real-time RMS amplitude analysis was conducted for an athlete suffering from ACL-rupture, and a difference of 47.8% was found between the intact and injured knee, where the average RMS calculated for the intact and injured knee was 0.679 mV and 0.418 mV. The result highlighted a significant distinction in muscle activity, demonstrating the potential for the device to monitor valuable EMG information for rehabilitation training.