I’d like to share a short story on the difference TracPatch made for me between my two knee replacement surgeries. Both total knee replacements were completed by the venerable Dr. S. Stulberg of Northwestern University one year apart. My left total knee replacement was done June 21, 2018.  My right knee was replaced June 13, 2019. In both cases I was pain free and ready to begin physical therapy within several days. Each therapist at MarionJoy in Oak Brook Terrace, IL. did a phenomenal job helping me recuperate and return to a normal gait in a timely manner.   

My first physical therapy sessions for my left knee were completed without benefit of TracPatch. Each time I met with my therapist during the week we worked on flexion and extension of my left knee as well as many other exercises to strengthen my knee. There was no set course as to which exercises were completed on any given day. During each visit the flexion and extension of my knee was measured with an instrument done manually. I always wondered exactly how accurate that manual measuring mechanism really was. After each therapy session I was given verbal directions as well as paper instructions to remind me of the exercises on which I was to work in order to accomplish the “GOAL”. 

The problem with the “GOAL” is it wasn’t set by me.  Goals changed according to what new exercises the physical therapist assigned.  MY GOAL was to walk once again with a steady, strong gait.  Yet which of the many exercises was most important to work on at home?  Unable to truly see or measure improvements I found myself lacking motivation to do any of the exercises at home.  Therefore, I just managed to work in therapy 3 days a week and hope for the best outcome.  

On June 14, 2019, the day after my right knee replacement, a wonderful young woman introduced herself as Sondra Vujovich working with Dr. Stulberg and asked if I would be a willing participant to test TracPatch.  She explained many of the benefits of wearing TracPatch. I was thrilled to take her up on her offer since many of MY GOALS were able to be measured even when I wasn’t at physical therapy!  With the help of another person 2 small adhesive patches were placed on my right leg.  One below my knee on the outer side of my calf and the other equidistant above my knee on the outer side of my thigh.  With my cell phone Sondra was able to calibrate the TracPatch’s so I could see for myself everything I wanted to know about my healing process.  I thoroughly enjoy that I can check my cell phone as many times a day to see things like my greatest degree of flexion and extension.  TracPatch records your best range of motion daily.  Because of that I’m able to see the graph and compare my day to day progress!  Dr. Stulberg has 4 specific exercises on TracPatch, he can see if I’m working to the best of my ability to finish 3 reps of each exercise.  When I do the exercises, I find myself trying to beat my last numbers from the day before.  If I could bend my leg 87 degrees, I aim for 88 degrees or 90 degrees if possible.  I’ve never had so much fun exercising because I can see my accomplishments in REAL TIME!   

I can also use my TracPatch just by looking at my cell phone to see how many steps I’ve taken!  I can see that I still have 1 more set of reps to do of the 4 exercises.  What I find truly exhilarating is that at the beginning the doctor sets the goals. As an example, he doesn’t expect me to be able to bend my leg 90 degrees the first day home. There is a picture of a person in the correct position for each exercise.  When I move my leg the computer animation moves theirs in exact timing with me.  It shows the degrees to which I was able to move my leg, counts the repetitions, shows in the color yellow what my goal is and the doctor can change that goal as I meet them.  There is just so much to love about TracPatch!  One of my favorites is that I can take a look back at EVERYTHING I’ve accomplished over a day, a week or a month!!  I truly enjoy seeing my progress and it makes me want to work that much harder!!! With sincere gratitude for allowing me to be a participant in your TracPatch study.

I used TracPatch for in-home physical therapy following my right knee replacement in April 2020. I learned of TracPatch from my orthopedic surgeon Dr. Nguyen from Optimotion Orthopedic Surgery Center in Orlando Florida. We were discussing my upcoming post-surgery physical therapy following my knee replacement. I had asked if there was a way to have physical therapy without outside personnel visiting my home. With the coronavirus restrictions and constraints for social distancing that were being imposed at all functions where personnel interactions would be involved, I was interested in finding a way to minimize that interaction. My wife has COPD and I wanted to protect my physical status so that I wouldn’t have people facilitating my therapy and put my wife and myself at greater risk through unknown personal contacts from therapy. TracPatch provided that isolation protection for us. I was able provide physical therapy for my knee though the use of TracPatch. I established TracPatch communication and calibrated the ADPs through Customer Service. The TracPatch was aligned above and below my knee with the ADPs. The pods recorded my progress through the TracPatch app to Customer Service and the surgery team at Optimotion on a daily basis for 6 weeks. The range of motion, photos and physical exercises were recorded every day. The expectations of those completed exercises, pain scores and range of motion was explained by the Customer Service and the surgery team.  

The Optimotion surgery center checked in with me weekly and I had Customer Service communication almost daily throughout the whole 6 weeks. TracPatch Customer Service was very attentive of my therapy from the initial setup, ADP calibration and throughout my recovery process. Customer Service had also provided me with extra ADPs as I had used up the initial quantity provided after the first three weeks of therapy. When I had a malfunction of the records not being recorded properly, Customer Service administered a reset of the TracPatch device. After that reset I was able to upload records of my completed therapy very easily with the use of the TracPatch app. I had my left knee replaced only a few months prior to my right knee. I went through typical physical therapy at a therapy center. Although the physical therapy center was very good in administering therapy, the TracPatch provided me independent and un-intrusive freedom to complete my therapy at home. I found the TracPatch therapy to be very useful to me and it was great to be able to complete therapy on my own, in my home and at a time of day convenient time to me. There were many of my friends that saw the TracPatch as I was using it. I explained to them the benefits that TracPatch provided me. TracPatch may not be for everyone, but for my wife and I, the use and availability of the device was just what we needed. It provided a great deal of personal flexibility to my physical therapy. 

Erica Felder was my personal Customer Support and she did a great job. I could contact her anytime of the day through a text message and I would receive immediate assistance. She made it so easy. And my right knee is doing just great!  

My experience with TracPatch was fantastic. Before my surgery I was very excited to wear these devices, learning how to use them and the phone application were very simple and it only took a few minutes to fully understand what I was doing. After my surgery the devices gave a better understanding of recovery and confidence to keep getting better through larger step counter and exercise goals. It also gave me a sense of security being able to contact my doctor directly through the application at any time of the day. Overall I’m very happy with how TracPatch helped me during my rehabilitation.