Electrical Impedance-Based Wearable Device for Monitoring Inflammation in Knee Osteoarthritis

University Of Alabama In Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa AL

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is the most common chronic illness and the leading cause of pain and disability among older adults, affecting more than 12% of the total US population and as many as 90% of persons over 65. As the population ages, prevalence of OA is rising sharply; it is projected that by 2030, 1 in 40 Americans will have arthritis, the majority of cases being OA. For those already living with OA, the capacity to monitor symptoms and identify exacerbating factors would significantly improve quality of life. However, current techniques for characterizing and monitoring OA-related inflammation fail to deliver a cost effective and simple solution that can be widely used by patients for continuous self-monitoring. In this study we propose developing a wearable to collect quantitative information on inflammation which have the potential to monitor disease progression without costly and invasive technologies. Such devices have strong potential to provide OA patients and providers with insight into the origins of pain and other symptoms and factors that may influence progression of the disease. First we will engage consumer input from practitioners and OA patients to identify their human fac- tors necessary for adoption of the wearable device. Second, we will devise and test a device that collects lo- calized electrical impedance measures of the knee, previously shown able to differentiate between groups with and without OA, in laboratory conditions to validate its operation. Finally, executing a small-scale field trial to test user acceptance and collect preliminary data linking observed variability in inflammatory biomarkers to self-reported OA symptoms and affect.