Functional Electrical Stimulation for Medial Knee Joint Loading Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medial knee joint pain and osteoarthritis are exacerbated by aberrant joint loading during gait, with existing treatments lacking a firm biomechanical basis and failing to effectively reduce medial knee joint reaction force, which is a key driver of disease progression.
Innovation Solution
Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is applied to the gluteus medius, biceps femoris, or gastrocnemius muscles during gait to reduce medial knee joint loading, thereby alleviating pain and preventing osteoarthritis progression by modifying joint kinetics and reducing the medial knee joint reaction force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If FES is applied to gluteus medius, biceps femoris or gastrocnemius during gait, then medial knee joint reaction force is reduced and pain is alleviated, but device complexity and treatment protocol complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical intervention (surgery, braces) with electrical stimulation to achieve knee joint loading reduction. The FES system uses electrical signals to activate muscles, substituting mechanical support systems with a neurophysiological approach that modifies gait mechanics through muscle activation patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the timing and duration parameters of muscle activation during gait cycles. By applying FES at specific phases (pre-activation before foot strike, maintenance during stance, cessation at end of stance), the system dynamically modifies joint reaction forces without requiring complex mechanical structures.
2Reliability
If FES timing is precisely synchronized with gait phases (pre-activation before foot strike, maintenance during stance, cessation at end of stance), then treatment effectiveness is maximized, but control system complexity and measurement requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms to detect gait phase and synchronize FES delivery. By monitoring gait events (foot strike, stance phase, toe-off) and using this information to trigger appropriate stimulation timing, the system achieves reliable treatment effectiveness while keeping the control system adaptable to individual patient gait patterns.
3Reliability
If FES is applied to multiple muscle groups (gluteus medius, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius), then biomechanical control of knee loading is improved, but device complexity and treatment protocol complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the treatment approach by targeting specific muscle groups with distinct functions: gluteus medius for hip stability and frontal plane control, biceps femoris for posterior chain and knee flexion control, and gastrocnemius for ankle plantar flexion. This segmentation allows complex biomechanical control to be achieved through coordinated activation of simpler, functionally-specific muscle units.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
FES effectively reduces the medial knee joint reaction force, leading to pain relief and potential halting of osteoarthritis progression by lateralizing the ground reaction force vector, thus addressing the biomechanical drivers of knee pathology.
Implementation Method 1
Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a non-invasive technology that induces muscle contraction via the application of a voltage gradient
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of treatment of disorders of the knee, such as medial osteoarthritis and knee instability due to anterior cruciate ligament deficiency, are provided herein.