Disclosure: Dr. Shelbourne is an unpaid consultant for the IdealKnee™.
When Jeff Sharpe was doing rehab after surgery for a meniscus tear, he used the prototype of a new device, the IdealKnee™, to regain full knee extension. “My doctors were amazed at how quickly I was back playing soccer with full range of motion,” says Sharpe, owner of TS Ideal Products.
Restoring range of motion (ROM) before and after knee surgery is crucial to optimal post-surgical outcomes. “You can’t fully recover from any knee surgery and expect long-term success without regaining full ROM,” says K. Donald Shelbourne, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Shelbourne Knee Center. Some patients can even avoid knee surgery by improving their ROM.
Restoring ROM has been a key part of treatment for knee injuries and problems at Shelbourne Knee Center for many years. Dr. Shelbourne developed the IdealKnee™ to make it easier for patients to restore knee extension and safely return to their normal activities.
Patients Inform Device Design
The IdealKnee™ is based on another product Shelbourne Knee Center has been using, the IdealStretch™. The IdealStretch™ focuses on the hamstrings, and also stretches the calves, illiotibial band (the connective tissues that stabilize the knee and assists with flexion and extension), hips and groin.
Dr. Shelbourne modified the IdealStretch™ to create a new device that focuses on treating flexion contractures and other conditions that prevent full knee extension. They’re common post-surgery and also can be caused by injuries or osteoarthritis.
Patients at Shelbourne Knee Center tested various prototypes of the new device and Dr. Shelbourne incorporated their input in the final design. The device, which has been available since January 2019, is manufactured and marketed by TS Ideal Products.
More Effective and More Comfortable
“The IdealKnee provides better leverage over the knee than the IdealStretch and allows the user to apply significant force with minimal effort,” says Sharpe. The new device can be used on a treatment table, in a chair, on the floor or in bed.
With a strap that is positioned above the knee, away from any incision, the IdealKnee™ also is more comfortable for post-surgical patients. The lightweight device, available on Amazon or at www.idealknee.com, is affordable and ideal for home use. It can be used for any problem related to knee extension, and on a regular basis to maintain full ROM after completing rehab.
Shelbourne Knee Center is currently using both the IdealKnee and the IdealStretch and is determining which device works best for which patients. “Both devices allow us to improve care for our patients and help them accelerate their recovery,” says Dr. Shelbourne. Patients try both devices during physical therapy in the clinic and see which feels like it works extension better. They can buy either device for home use.
For more information about the IdealKnee and our rehab program, call 888-FIX-KNEE.