Lower Extremity - Evaluation

Physiotherapy aims to address the problems that occur for a person following Spinal Cord Injury so that the person can maximize their independence as much as possible. Depending on the nature of the injury and the level to which it occurs, complete or incomplete, there are many issues for the patient to face. Treatment needs to be focused on what they wish to achieve and the Physiotherapist plans a course of treatment following a thorough assessment of the patient's condition.

E-LINK is an invaluable system for Physiotherapists who need to quantify and monitor the effectiveness of treatments for the Lower Extremity, particularly in relation to assessing Joint Range of Motion and evaluating weight-bearing Balance.

E-LINK devices are designed for accuracy, ease and speed of data collection as well as being sensitive to assess very small measurements.

  • Formal evaluation of joint range of motion can be undertaken speedily and easily and continue throughout the full rehabilitation process
  • weight-bearing ForcePlates are perfect to assess the symmetry and stability of the patient's standing balance and may also be used for seated balance assessment
  • Progress Reports are easily generated and may be utilized as definitive clinical outcome measures
  • Data is readily exported for audit and research purposes
Large Goniometer in Use

E-LINK Goniometers

E-LINK Goniometers are precise electronic devices, designed for speed and accuracy of data collection. They are invaluable for assessing the patient in need of a speedy assessment to minimize discomfort from pain associated with lengthy evaluations.

The goniometer is simply placed over a joint and at the single click of a button the data is recorded in 1 degree increments and entered automatically into the software. This data is clearly displayed on the appropriate screen Graphic.

Using a wireless Adaptor with the Goniometer is particularly beneficial as it enables measurements to be taken even when the patient is a distance from the Computer screen.

Progress Reports can be easily generated by the Software covering a maximum of 10 tests and displayed in both graph and table format.

  • The large Goniometer is used for the wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle
  • Amputation, ankylosis and arthrodesis can also be documented for the above joints
  • The Software can also be configured to accommodate the Neutral Zero method of measurement
  • E-LINK Goniometers – ideal for speedy and accurate ROM evaluation

E-LINK ForcePlates

Assessment of weight bearing stability and balance for the Spinal Injury patient can be a major challenge for the physiotherapist.

When standing is appropriate for the Spinal Injury patient the E-LINK Dual Axis ForcePlate System provides the solution by scientifically quantifying the symmetrical weight distribution of the patient in both anterior-posterior (front/back) and medial-lateral (left/right) axes simultaneously. It accurately and objectively assesses the patient's ability to maintain postural stability on a static surface and evaluates progress over time as an outcome measure.

  • The standing balance assessment, undertaken for 5, 10, 15, 30 or 60 second test, measures fluctuations in the weight distributed over the ForcePlates
  • The results are displayed both in text and graph format for immediate feedback and analysis, with the average % deviation from the center documenting the symmetry of the patient's stance and the standard deviation % documenting stability
  • The position of the ForcePlates may be varied within the BaseFrame to accommodate different stance widths
  • Foot position can be standardized and documented for each test, thus reducing variability for test to re-test reliability
  • Up to 10 tests can be compared simultaneously for progress reporting over time and may be used as an outcome measure
  • Balance Training Exercise can immediately follow the Balance Evaluation
  • The ForcePlates may also be used to assess seated Balance and can even be placed under the wheels of a wheelchair where applicable (each ForcePlate accepts 100kg weight)