Rehabilitation Interventions, (2) Advanced Prosthetic and
Orthotic Technologies, (3) Epidemiology and Surveillance,
and (4) Medical and Surgical Innovations.
Novel Rehabilitation Interventions
The EACE researchers are executing studies aimed at devel-
oping and determining the most ef
ficacious treatment inter-
ventions for optimizing an individual
’s level of function and
reintegration back to military and/or civilian communities
while mitigating comorbidities and secondary health effects.
These interventions are speci
fic to impairments, functional
limitations, activity restrictions, and assistive devices.
One such EACE-supported intervention focuses on pre-
venting falls in service members with transtibial amputations
through advanced rehabilitation training using a microprocessor-
controlled treadmill.
21
The study demonstrated a signi
ficant
improvement in stumbles and falls. After receiving the
advanced rehabilitation training, 60% of the subjects (
N = 11)
reported a decrease in stumbles and falls, and all subjects
reported that their uncontrolled falls had decreased to zero.
This reduction of stumbles and falls was maintained over the
6-month follow-up period.
The EACE researchers have also used high-end virtual reality
environments (Computer Assisted Rehabilitation ENviron-
ment, Motekforce Link) to develop task-speci
fic assessments
and treatment interventions related to participation in military
and civilian activities. Assessment applications were created
to quantify function and identify de
ficits related to walking
stability and mechanics during perturbations,
22,23
cognitive
tasks,
24
and/or
military-speci
fic tasks.
24
Investigational
treatment interventions within the virtual reality environments
include utilization of direct and indirect visual feedback
during gait, visual-vestibular habituation techniques,
24
and
military task-speci
fic rehabilitation.
The EACE researchers are collaborating with industry and
academic partners to leverage motion-tracking game technol-
ogy to extend virtual reality therapy into patients
’ homes through
interactive and entertaining game experiences. Finally, while
FIGURE 1.
EACE organization chart showing the four divisions, research sites, and supporting organizations.
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EACE: Overview of the Research and Surveillance Division
many inventions focus on functional limitations and participa-
tion restrictions, new studies are looking at strategies such as
blood-
flow restriction resistance training to increase muscular
strength. Through this form of training, individuals may be
able to experience muscular strength and hypertrophic gains
at a lower resistance than conventionally employed.
25
The
EACE researchers are investigating whether lower resistance
with blood-
flow restriction should reduce the pain associated
with rehabilitation, increase patient compliance, and result in
greater strength gains at discharge. Preliminary results in the
lower extremities are promising and clinical trials for individ-
uals with upper limb injures are planned.
Advanced Prosthetic and Orthotic Technologies
Following the physical or functional loss of their limb(s),
service members and veterans are often reliant on prosthetic
and orthotic devices to return to activities of daily living,
recreation, and occupation. Throughout the recent con
flicts,
advances in technology have led to the availability of novel
devices such as improved microprocessor-controlled prosthe-
ses, active power-producing prostheses, myoelectric-controlled
prostheses, and exoskeletal orthoses. The functional demand
and complexity of these systems necessitated studies to exam-
ine the ef
ficacy of advanced prosthetic and orthotic devices,
speci
fically ease of fitting and operation, improved safety and/or
function, and optimal prescription parameters to meet speci
fic
patient needs. The EACE researchers leveraged advanced
assessment tools within the three ARCs and the James A. Haley
Veterans
’ Hospital to amass nearly a decade worth of data from
patients who use advanced prosthetic and orthotic devices.
These efforts have contributed to a global medical body
of knowledge on emerging and maturing prosthetic tech-
nologies, such as myoelectric upper-limb prostheses,
26,27
microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees,
28
–31
powered pros-
thetic knees,
31
and powered prosthetic ankle-foot systems.
32
–34
The underlying intent of these investigations was to determine
if the technologies provide bene
fit to patient function across a
FIGURE 2.
EACE Research and Surveillance Division
’s research personnel positions at DoD and VA sites.
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EACE: Overview of the Research and Surveillance Division
variety of activities including level-ground gait,
35
slope
36
–40
and stair ambulation,
28,38,41
–44
walking during destabilizing
conditions,
22,23,45
–48
transitions from standing,
31
and common
activities of daily living.
26
Since many service members
with amputation are young and
fit at the time of injury, the
EACE researchers have re-examined factors that may in
flu-
ence function later in life, such as metabolic costs
49
–52
and
stability
21,22,30,45,46,48,53,54
during gait. Previous literature
often describes older groups of dysvascular amputees. How-
ever, this cohort does not offer adequate comparisons for
young, blast-related traumatic amputees. Studies conducted
with this younger population of amputees provide reference
data and begin to establish the prevalence and predictive
factors that may lead to the onset of secondary health con-
ditions later in life, like low back pain,
55,56
cardiovascular
disease,
57
and osteoarthritis.
58
For example, factors such as
asymmetric limb loading
35
and short residual limb lengths
49
may impact long-term outcomes and the prescription of pros-
thetic devices.
New orthotic technologies also continue to emerge. The
Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis (IDEO) is a carbon
fiber ankle-foot orthosis developed at the Center for the
Intrepid. It is designed to support ankle and foot structures
in a posture that minimizes pain while also storing energy
before releasing it at push off. It is prescribed to those with
functional limb loss following severe injury to muscle,
nerve, or bone.
59
Through collaborative efforts in research
and education, this orthosis is now available for service
members, veterans, and the private sector. Current and future
research efforts with the IDEO focus on determining optimal
device properties
60
–63
and evaluating patient function during
both recreational and military-speci
fic activities.
64,65
Epidemiology and Surveillance
Researchers in the Epidemiology and Surveillance research
focus area track service members and veterans with severe
limb trauma and amputation to evaluate the effectiveness of
treatment inventions and to monitor subsequent short- and
long-term health and QoL outcomes. This initiative is imper-
ative to thoroughly characterize patients and their responses
to care and also to identify predictors of optimal rehabilitation
outcomes. Descriptive characteristics, prevalence, and inci-
dence of short- and long-term secondary conditions, health
care utilization, QoL, and the resulting economic impact are
all quanti
fiable factors that EACE stakeholders may use to
guide health care policy and direct resources to facilitate opti-
mal outcomes. While providing a continuously evolving view
of the extremity trauma and amputation population, research
in the Epidemiology and Surveillance research focus area
informs, supports, and uni
fies efforts throughout the R&S
Division lines of research.
The need for comprehensive outcome measures that can
assess high-level mobility and agility has encouraged collab-
oration between DoD and VA to develop the Comprehen-
sive High-Level Activity Mobility Predictor (CHAMP).
66
The CHAMP was assessed for reliability and validity
66,67
and
recommendations for its clinical application disseminated
through published manuscripts
68,69
and training seminars for
DoD and VA clinicians. Reference standards from uninjured
male service members along with those who sustained limb loss
are provided for both the CHAMP and the 6-minute walk test
to establish a guideline for goal setting and expectations.
66,70
The CHAMP is one example of an outcome measure that can
be used to longitudinally characterize the function of male
FIGURE 3.
EACE research sites and collaborators across the United States. Not shown are academic and industry research partners in Austria, Canada,
England, Germany, and New Zealand.
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