New fixes for bad shoulders and knees

Imperial Innovations has available for licensing a portfolio of devices for use in the diagnosis and treatment of common shoulder and knee injuries. These include a shoulder brace that restrains the joint in an optimal therapeutic orientation yet allows limb movement within a prescribed range such that simple, low demand tasks may be carried out using the affected arm.

There is also a device for arthroscopic repair of torn Rotator Cuff shoulder ligaments which combines the functions of several different instruments into a single surgical tool and features a novel ligament reattachment mechanism.

For use in knee surgery, there is technology enabling highly accurate tendon attachment during Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction and an ACL anchor for post-operative re-tensioning of loose ACL grafts. The re-tensioning process is minimally invasive and thus avoids the typical requirement for subsequent corrective surgery. Any abnormal degree of movement in a damaged knee can be quantified using a proprietary Joint Laxity measurement apparatus.  This device uses surface-mounted sensors to record movement in six degrees of freedom in response to varying applied forces.

Finally, for training and practice in surgical procedures there is a Knee Arthroscopy Training robot utilising 3D graphics and realistic (haptic) force feedback to the operator.

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