Patent Application: US-94214010-A

Abstract:
a device for assessing hip joint conditions comprises a support structure including a first platform area and a second platform area spaced from each other . the device includes a first footrest rotationally coupled to the first platform , a second footrest rotationally coupled to the second platform , a first recording device coupled to the first footrest and adapted to record the angular movement of the first footrest , and a second recording device coupled to the second footrest and adapted to record the angular movement of the second footrest .

Description:
in a broad sense , a hip deck device constructed in accordance with aspects of the present invention consists of two rotational footrests each connected to a pedestal that is capable of supporting the weight of a patient . each rotational footrest can either be locked into place and prevented from rotating or allowed to freely rotate 360 °. two connecting rods link the pedestals of each rotational footrest . the side - to - side distance between the rotational footrests can be adjusted by sliding a pedestal along the connecting rods to be either closer or further away from the other pedestal . fig1 shows a hip deck device 100 constructed in accordance with aspects of the present invention as used in one example to measure hip rotation while a patient 50 performs a squat or other motion that involves engagement of the hip physiology . the device 100 is placed on the floor , and the patient 50 stands on the hip deck with each foot on a rotational footrest 120 and 140 separated by a pre - determined distance and mounted on a pair of support beams 102 and 104 . the footrests 120 and 140 are rotationally mounted on corresponding platforms 110 and 115 . each of the rotational footrests have the ability to lock in place to prevent unintended movement when the patient steps on the platforms 110 and 115 . when the rotational footrests 120 and 140 are unlocked and free to rotate , the patient performs a squat and the feet are allowed to rotate in a horizontal plane parallel to the floor . fig1 illustrates a patient in the squatting position with the corresponding rotation of the footrests 120 and 140 . the platforms 110 and 115 may in one embodiment be adapted to slide along the support beams so that the distance between the footrests 120 and 140 can be adjusted for different patients . fig2 shows a close up view of one of the support platforms 110 , the footrest 140 and a measuring and recording system 150 that is used to track and record the angle of rotation that occurs during the squatting motion performed by the patient . in one embodiment , a simple pen and paper is used to record the motion and provide quantitative measurement of the rotational position of the footrests and therefore the patient &# 39 ; s feet . each rotational footrest 120 and 140 is equipped with a recording device and in other embodiments , mechanical sensors are incorporated to permanently record data such as rotational force , vertical force and rotational position associated with the particular patient . any of these sensors may be integrated into a computerized recording and monitoring system to provide additional data recording and analysis capabilities . fig3 is an isolated view of the hip deck device 100 showing the features described above in conjunction with fig2 . fig4 is an exploded view of the hip deck device 100 . in fig4 , one embodiment of the rotational platform 140 is shown with the rotational element 145 positioned beneath the platform 140 , thus allowing it to rotate freely under the movement of a patient . for illustration purposes , a pen 114 or other recording device in combination with a protractor 112 is shown as one way to record to rotational position of the platform 140 . fig5 illustrates one embodiment of a rotational sensor system 250 that can be used in place of the pen / protractor embodiment discussed above . the sensor system 250 includes a pair of sensor housings 200 a and 200 b integrated with rotational elements 205 a and 205 b . in addition to sensing and recording the angular rotation of the rotational elements 205 a and 205 b , sensor housings 200 a and 200 b are in some embodiments adapted to record one or more of weight , strain , force and other measurements associated with the patient 50 . digital displays 210 a and 210 b display the measurements taken by the sensor system 250 and also relay that information to a computer system or database for further processing . locking devices 215 a and 215 b are included to secure the rotational elements 205 a and 205 b in place . the distance between sensors housings 200 a and 200 b can be slidably adjusted via a plate 220 incorporated into the hip deck device 100 . in accordance with various other embodiments it is contemplated that one or more of the following data outputs can be captured during an analysis session using a hip deck device constructed in accordance with aspects of the present invention : a ) starting hip internal / external rotation position , b ) maximum hip internal / external rotation , c ) hip internal / external rotation rom , d ) weight placed on each foot during activity , e ) hip , knee , ankle and back flexion angles , f ) pelvic pitch ( anterior / posterior pelvic tilt ), and g ) squat depth . other advantages associated with using a hip deck device constructed in accordance with aspects of the present invention include its ease of use , it is light and portable for easy transport , it is simple to set up and put away in a clinic , it can be adjusted for different patients and activities , and it is designed to provide a permanent record of output . depending on the exercise performed , a hip deck constructed in accordance with aspects of the present invention can be integrated with other recording devices and / or designed with different sensors . for example , mechanical measurements recorded with a pen and protractor may be replaced by electronic sensors in the platform that transcribe rotational position and force , weight and squat depth . in addition , these measurements may be recorded using a hand held display or with an interfaced laptop or desktop computer . mechanical measurements recorded with pen and protractor or force sensors may also be replaced by sensors located on the foot and lower limb that record the rotation . these can include optical methods such as a camera and reflective marker set - up , or electromagnetic and gyroscopic sensor arrays to provide additional or alternative rotational measurements of the pelvis , hip , knee and ankle as well as squat depth . those skilled in the art can readily recognize that numerous variations and substitutions may be made in the invention , its use and its configuration to achieve substantially the same results as achieved by the embodiments described herein . accordingly , there is no intention to limit the invention to the disclosed exemplary forms . many variations , modifications and alternative constructions fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosed invention as expressed in the claims . 1 . mccarthy j c , lee j a . arthroscopic intervention in early hip disease . clin orthop relat res . 2004 dec . 1 ( 429 ): 157 - 62 . 2 . philippon m j , maxwell r b , johnston t l , et al . clinical presentation of femoroacetabular impingement . knee surg sports traumatol arthrosc . 2007 aug . 1 ; 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