Case Studies

Amputees often have difficulty with balance and gait training, requiring upper body strength and assistance to learn how use their prostheses. The Anti-Gravity Treadmill can provide a safe gait training environment by providing weight bearing support and decreasing need for upper extremity use. The result is improved focus by patients on walking, and less concern about falling.

• Allows for safe gait training.
• Normalizes gait pattern in a controlled environment.
• Allows for longer practice time, greater motor learning, and increased functional improvements.

Meniscus surgery can result in sensitivity with weight bearing/walking. Loading healing areas too quickly can cause persistent swelling/pain, limiting progress in rehabilitation. The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill can allow for safe, pain-free closed kinetic chain activities with decreased stress at the tibiofemoral joint.

• Safe loading of the lower extremities to prevent aggravation to healing tissue and delayed progress with post-operative protocols.
• Precisely track progress with returning patient to Full Weight Bearing (FWB).
• Encourage motion to lower extremity to help with decreasing inflammation/stiffness post-injury.

Poor lower body mechanics can contribute to knee symptoms in children/adolescents when they increase sports participation. The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill can help decrease stress to the lower extremities, allowing users to focus on proper mechanics/form. Load can be reintroduced once patients demonstrate proper technique/gait pattern.

• Decreases load on the lower extremities to allow users to focus on proper form/technique.
• Gradually reintroduce weight while ensuring patient maintains good lower extremity mechanics.
• Allows for safe, pain-free cardiovascular training for those with decreased lower extremity strength and poor lower body mechanics.

Encouraging mobility after an injury helps to decrease inflammation and stiffness, helping to restore range of motion. Improved motion and function can be important for maintaining fitness levels for athletes or those dealing with other medical issues such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

• Decreases pain by reducing load to lower extremities.
• Encourages movement to help reduce inflammation/stiffness.
• Maintains fitness levels for athletes or those with other medical issues by allowing movement /exercise while recovering.

Cartilage procedures can often require a period of modified or partial weight bearing by the patient to avoid damage to the healing tissue. The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill can precisely measure weight bearing status in as small as 1% increments, from 100% BW to as low as 20% BW. This ensures that the patient can adhere to all post-surgical precautions while encouraging movement.

• Allows for safe, comfortable weight bearing that follows post-surgical precautions.
• Restore normal gait mechanics in a pain-free environment.
• Progressively load lower extremities to improve strength, proprioception, and endurance.

Early mobilization and restoration of knee ROM is important to prevent antalgic gait patterns, minimize negative consequences of post-op stiffness, and prevent the development of compensatory issues. Later on in the rehab process, the Anti-Gravity Treadmill can be used for a safe return to running progression.

• Allows for safe, controlled gait training early in the post-operative rehab process.
• Closed kinetic chain exercises can be performed with support to decrease guarding and encourage proper AROM.
• Less knee flexion is needed so patient can start working on AROM earlier vs stationary bike.
• Allows for safe return to running progression.

Total Knee Replacement patients often have difficulty with mobility post-operatively because of pain. Movement is necessary though to minimize the consequences that can occur from being immobilized too long, like increased scarring, joint stiffness, and muscle atrophy. The Anti-Gravity Treadmill can help these patients eliminate pain and encourage gain.

• Encourages early mobility to help restore normal gait patterns.
• Safely increase confidence in ambulating without assistive device.
• Allows for symptom-free gait training.
• Better post-operative outcomes – PT completed rehab in 10 weeks.