On Oct. 7, 2011 in the Shreveport Times, Melody Brumbe writes about Anita Boutin who tried it all before going under the knife to replace her arthritis-ravaged knee in August. “I can remember 20 years ago not being able to squat ” Boutin, 63, said. “It didn’t hurt then but before I had surgery it had gotten to the point where it hurt even when I was sitting at my desk at work.”
Knee replacement surgeries are expected to soar as Baby Boomers try to stay active longer, but self-care treatments can help with pain, restore mobility and delay or eliminate the need for surgery., “Total knee replacement is an epidemic in our country,” says Marj Albohm, president of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. “That circles back to the American way. Fix it. Give me an operation.”, Replacement operations increased 100 percent over the past 10 years and are expected to rise 500 percent by 2030, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Traumatic injuries and osteoarthritis, which troubles 27 million American adults by damaging cartilage and bone and causing pain, stiffness and swelling, can lead to expensive surgeries.
A knee replacement ranges from $45,000 to $60,000., Boutin, of Keithville, tried physical therapy and shots of an artificial joint lubricant to put off surgery. Neither offered much relief, but she’s seen a huge difference two months after Dr. Richard Harrell removed the damaged joint and put in an artificial one., “It’s great. I still have a tiny bit of pain and there’s pain when I get up and down, but the pain is diminishing day by day,” Boutin said. “My goal? I want to be able to stand with no pain and walk with no pain. Anything above that is lagniappe.” Boutin is typical of the patients orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steven Atchison sees. Atchison estimates that the average age of knee replacement patients in northwest Louisiana is 63. “Probably 75 percent of the people we see in the clinic for knee and hip pain have already tried other things,” he said. “Surgery is done almost exclusively because of pain. It’s a quality-of-life issue first, then functionality second.”
Post knee surgery therapy can be augmented with the use of the LegTutor. The LegTutor™ system has been developed to allow for functional rehabilitation of the lower extremity. The system consists of an ergonomic wearable leg brace and dedicated rehabilitation software. The LegTutor™ system allows for a range of biomechanical evaluation including speed, passive and active range of motion and motion analysis of the lower extremity. Quantitative biomechanical data allow for objective evaluation and rehabilitation treatment follow up. The LegTutor™ rehabilitation concept is based on performing controlled exercise rehabilitation practice at a patient customized level with real time accurate feedback on the patient’s performance.
The exercises are designed in the form of challenging games that are suitable for a wide variety of neurological and orthopedic injury and disease. The games challenge the patient to perform the exercise task to their best ability and to continue exercise practice. The LegTutor™ allows for isolated and a combination of knee and three directional hip treatment. The system provides detailed exercise performance instructions and precise feedback on the patients exercise performance. Controlled exercise of multi joints within the normal movement pattern prevents the development of undesired and compensatory joint movement and ensures better performance of functional tasks. The LegTutor™ system is used by many leading rehabilitation centers worldwide and has full FDA and CE certification.
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