Improving Knee Osteoarthritis Diagnosis

Knee Kinesiography—like an electrocardiogram of the knee—was developed by a research team from ÉTS, Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), and TÉLUQ. It is designed not only to help make it easier for clinical staff to detect knee-related abnormalities, including injuries and osteoarthritis—which affects hundreds of thousands of Canadians—but also to tailor treatment to each patient.

Knee Kinesiography is the result of a 20-year collaboration, and it’s now being marketed by EMOVI under the name KneeKG. It’s being used in hospitals and clinics in eight countries, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

The clinical study that demonstrated the effectiveness of Knee Kinesiography

Knee Kinesiography is effective, as shown by a large-scale clinical study conducted in the mid-2010s and led by research professor Nicola Hagemeister of the Mechanical Engineering Department. Study participants gained a better understanding of their symptoms and took better care of themselves, delaying or even avoiding unnecessary and costly surgery. Furthermore, the improvement in their overall well-being resulted in increased individual productivity, as well as a likely decrease in the private and public costs associated with the disease. The socioeconomic data collected during the study has been analyzed, but the results have not yet been published.  

In addition, the data confirmed the usefulness of integrating this test into the medical practice of general practitioners to assess biomechanical risk factors associated with the progression of osteoarthritis. These positive results enabled Emovi to secure C$20 million in funding in 2019. 

A technology recommended by many medical associations

Knee Kinesiography has been included in the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ 2021 clinical practice guidelines, and Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ) has agreed to take part in the knowledge transfer plan for its members. Information on Knee Kinesiography has also been incorporated into osteoarthritis training for FMOQ members. The Fonds de recherche du Québec – santé et société (FRQS) has identified it as one of the 15 most promising scientific breakthroughs for the population. It has also been included in the Smart Health Innovation Lab, an organization dedicated to accelerating the transfer and adoption of medical technologies by the healthcare system.

These results bode well for Knee Kinesiography being implemented in the public healthcare system!

Learn more:

Knee Kinesiography Revolutionizes Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee Kinesiography Exam, a Device to Better Evaluate Knee Function