I26 -- June 2008 -- Smart Knee Brace

Intro: Forty years ago Army Staff Sergeant Walt Myers was exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange in Vietnam. Now he suffers profound muscle weakness in his legs. He was facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair. But thanks to a special knee brace developed at Mayo Clinic, Walt is walking tall.

"TO BE HIT WITH SOMETHING THAT TAKES AWAY YOUR MOBILITY IS ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING."

BUT EVERY DAY, VIETNAM VET WALT MYERS STRAPS ON THESE LEG BRACES AND WALKS.

"IT TAKES A FEW MOMENTS TO GET DRESSED IN THE MORNING."

WALT HAS A DEGENERATIVE NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION, POSSIBLY CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO AGENT ORANGE, THAT CAUSES HIS MUSCLES TO GET WEAK. THESE BRACES ARE KEEPING HIM OUT OF A WHEELCHAIR.

AND UNLIKE OLDER MODELS WHICH KEEP YOUR KNEES LOCKED IN PLACE, THIS BRACE IS SMART — IT'S PROGRAMMED TO MOVE WITH YOU.

"WITH THIS DESIGN, IT STILL GIVES THEM STABILITY DURING STANCE BECAUSE IT'S LOCKED, BUT IT ALSO GIVES THEM MOBILITY DURING SWING SO YOU CAN WALK NORMALLY."

THE BRACE, DEVELOPED BY DR. KENTON KAUFMAN, STEVE IRBY, AND THEIR BIOMECHANICS TEAM AT MAYO CLINIC, IS CONTROLLED BY A COMPUTER. WHEN A PATIENT PUTS WEIGHT ON THE BRACE, IT LOCKS IN PLACE, KEEPING HIM STABLE. WHEN HE LIFTS HIS LEG TO SWING IT FORWARD, SENSORS ON THE FOOT DETECT THE CHANGE AND THE BRACE AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCKS.

"IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO BE MORE MOBILE, SO THEY CAN DO THE NORMAL ROUTINES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO TO BE INDEPENDENT."

THE NEW BRACE IS NOT ONLY FOR VETERANS. IT'S ALSO USED BY PEOPLE WITH MUSCLE WEAKNESS FROM DISEASES LIKE POLIO OR MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY. IT MAY ALSO HELP PEOPLE WITH WEAKNESS FROM TRAUMATIC INJURY TO STAY ON THEIR FEET.

"IT ACTUALLY TORE UP MY SOUL WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS GOING DOWN TO A WHEELCHAIR. BUT I'M JUST TICKLED PINK I'M STILL GOING."

FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS.







Anchor tag: The device is marketed under the trade name Sensor Walk by Otto Bock Health Care. It has recently been approved by the FDA.

For more information, visit our Website at …

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