Design of a Portable Prototype Device for Measuring the Torsion Angle of the Tibia between the Knee and Ankle in Adult Patients

Diseño de un Dispositivo Prototipo Portátil para la Medición del Ángulo de Torsión de la Tibia entre Rodilla y Tobillo, en Pacientes de Edad Adulta

Abstract

Tibial torsion is a pathology in which the tibia presents a rotation along its axis. To determine the magnitude of the rotation, it is necessary to carry out a series of studies and evaluations to establish the amount of the angle. The problem is that when performing these examinations everything depends on the judgment and expertise of the person who performs it, given that the key points such as the axes of rotation, can be appreciated and determined in different ways, thus causing a negative impact on the evaluation result. The present work proposes to design a measurement prototype that allows obtaining, in a transparent and understandable way, the difference in angles between the axes of the knee and the ankle, which indicates the magnitude of the rotation. To achieve this, we work with an applied field research methodology and different prototype proposals were analyzed in order to choose the one that best adapts to the needs to be covered. The prototype consisted of ultrasonic sensors placed at the ends of the rotation axes and will provide distance data that, through a developed algorithm, will allow knowing the torsion angle. To validate the prototype, we worked with patients from the Santa Inés Health Center and this allowed us to compare the current clinical results with the results of the prototype.