VibeTech, Inc. proposes the development and preclinical testing of a Wearable Passive Vibration Therapy (WPVT) System for the Lower Extremity for use by older adults with limited or no mobility. The device is intended to deliver stimulation to the musculoskeletal system to reduce or reverse bone and muscle loss associated with disuse of the affected limb(s). Annual healthcare costs due to the physical inactivity of Americans are in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, low back pain, obesity, osteoporosis, and other common conditions are the result of or result in reduced activity level and diminished quality of life for many millions of Americans. Exercise is an option that can alleviate many symptoms associated with each condition. However, exercise programs have a high dropout rate and persons with the most serious conditions cannot use equipment available on the market. As such, the proposed WPVT device will deliver a passive, vibration-based workout to persons with limited or no mobility, thus providing an opportunity for millions of people to commence a regimen of musculoskeletal stimulation aimed at increasing physical capacity. The prevalence of debilitating health conditions such as those associated with limited or no mobility is especially high in nursing homes, assisted living centers, and hospitals. These are the locations where VibeTech aims to place its products to achieve the largest potential impact at improving quality of life and reducing cost of care. Funding for this grant will support the development and testing of three prototype WPVT devices. The devices will be used in preclinical tests over the course of a 3-month treatment period to evaluate their effectiveness at improving functional strength measures, correlates to falls risk (gait speed and balance), and bone metabolism in older adults residing within a nursing home. Future work will involve lengthier clinical trials and will target additional populations with limited or no mobility to evaluate the ability of the WPVT device to improve bone quality, muscle performance, and balance over a long-term treatment period in a range of populations that can benefit from passive musculoskeletal stimulation.
The Wearable Passive Vibration Therapy (WPVT) device offers promise of reducing fracture risk associated with falls in older adults by improving strength, balance, gait, and bone quality, but perhaps the most useful feature of this device is its ability to passively deliver musculoskeletal stimulation to persons recovering from falls-related hip fractures (e.g., those in a bed rest or other reduced activity environments). Typically, 24% of older adults die from indirect health complications within one year of receiving a hip fracture as a result of reduced muscle strength and inactivity caused by physical disability. The WPVT device is specifically developed to provide the required stimulation to combat reduced muscle strength and physical disability, thus helping older adults increase their odds for survival after a hip fracture (or preventing a hip fracture from occurring in the first place).
