CNN: Dr. Tehrany describes the knee band that records knee sounds as novel

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As a joint that is exceptionally susceptible to injuries and severe orthopedic conditions, the knee places itself as a central topic of numerous studies conducted by both technology and orthopedic scientists and researchers. With the help of the latest technology advencements, orthopedic doctors have significantly expanded their understanding and knowledge of the knee and knee pain.

The knee sounds that orthopedic doctors have never thought about

Today, orthopedic doctors are a giant step closer to fully understanding the knee joint. A group of engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have worked on and successfully developed a knee band that is equipped with small, almost invisible microphones and sensors that can record the noises and the sounds the knee makes while being active. After the recording session ends, the recordings can be delivered to the doctors who based on the sounds and the noises can evaluate damage after a knee injury or track the improvement during the recovery period. The significant achievement gained both national and international media attention, and the story has been shared on numerous media outlets. The media giant, CNN, covered the story with an article that provides an in-depth analysis of the newly developed knee band. In addition, the article points out the top advantages that orthopedic doctors can experience while utilizing the device in knee treatment. For the purpose of the story, Dr. Armin Tehrany was invited to share his expert opinion on the idea of listening to patients’ knee and the potential benefits that can come from using the device in knee treatment. According to Dr. Tehrany, a highly experienced orthopedic doctor and knee specialist, the knee band is an excellent device that can significantly expedite the recovery process by enabling doctors to better understand the current knee condition. Moreover, the knee band can play a crucial role if it is further developed to precisely locate the sound, and by that, reveal the exact location of the knee pain.
“A patient can often feel and hear sounds coming from the front of the knee or by the kneecap. Other times, patients can also hear sounds coming from the inside or outside of the knee, but they have a difficult time distinguishing where the sound is actually coming from,” Dr. Tehrany said.
According to Omer Inan, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech who led the research on the knee band, the main goal of the knee band is to track the knee condition of a person who has already been diagnosed with a knee injury and to follow the progress of the recovery. However, Dr. Tehrany adds that if the device can better pinpoint the knee sound, then it can assist the orthopedic surgeons while forming initial diagnosis for some of the most common knee conditions such as knee arthritis.
“If that sound can be better pinpointed by a new technology such as this, and if research can be done to see if that sound correlates with arthritis or other pathology, then it can help orthopedic surgeons as a diagnostic tool before MRI scans are necessary,” Dr. Tehrany explained and described the technology as novel.
The complete CNN story with Dr. Tehrany’s comment is available at CNN’s website, and it has been picked up by most of the national media outlets, shared across the entire country.