Tibion, a leader in the development of smart medical devices and therapies that address the mobility impaired, introduced its PK100 Bionic Leg Orthosis, formerly known as the PowerKnee, at the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting (CSM), which took place February 9-12 this year, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tibion's innovation has been highly praised by all the 7,000 professionals that the CSM brought together to learn about the latest advances in the practice of physical therapy.

The PK100 Bionic Leg Orthosis is an intelligent, wearable, power-assist device for the leg, which actively supplements muscle strength to enhance rehabilitation therapy and provide mobility assistance for patients with loss of muscle function. Making use of numerous sensors positioned throughout the device, the PK100 detects the actions of the user, such as sitting/standing, walking, and ascending/descending stairs.

 

Microprocessors on the device analyze this information and transparently apply the force needed to augment the user’s actions. Patients with neuromuscular impairment due to stroke or chronic disease, such as MS (Multiple Sclerosis) or Parkinson’s disease, and patients with muscle weakness due to osteoarthritis or knee surgery may benefit from this technology.

 

“We are delighted to be able to introduce our PK100 Bionic Leg Orthosis at this meeting,” said Tibion CEO Kern Bhugra. “We strongly believe the PK100 represents a breakthrough technology for physical therapists and provides them with a tool to enhance the rehabilitation process for patients dealing with loss of muscle function.”

 

Unfortunately, the company did not reveal any information on the availability or the price of this device, so, for more details, you should contact the manufacturer directly. However, it is very likely that the first to benefit from this technology are hospitals and clinics, most likely private ones, and only afterwards individual patients.

 

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