CyMedica Begins e-vive Knee Arthritis Smartwatch Trial

CyMedica Orthopedics, the combined digital health and muscle strengthening therapy innovator, today announced the launch of a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of their proven e-vive muscle strengthening device and patient engagement system in knee osteoarthritis patients. Researchers will combine the muscle strengthening e-vive data with the activity and health data collected by commercially available wearable smartwatch devices to determine the effect of this novel technology on improving patient osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms.
 
The randomized, prospective clinical trial will be conducted on 120 osteoarthritis patients in clinical collaboration with Northwell Health, New York’s largest health system. The study is being led by researchers Matthew Stewart Hepinstall, M.D. (Primary Investigator) and Michael A. Mont, M.D.
 
“The e-vive clinical trial for knee osteoarthritis marks a major advancement for CyMedica in the treatment landscape for managing osteoarthritis knee pain,” said Rob Morocco, president and CEO. “It comes at a time when an overwhelming number of knee arthritis patients are in urgent need of non-narcotic, non-addictive and home-based wearable therapies to help the millions of Americans who suffer from this painful chronic condition.” 
 
Muscle weakness is considered one of the most common underlying clinical conditions associated with knee osteoarthritis and the rehabilitation challenges facing patients recovering from knee procedures. “The success of the e-vive quadriceps muscle-strengthening in post-surgical knee rehabilitation has been well documented,” said Dr. Michael A. Mont, Vice President of Strategic Operations in Orthopedics at Northwell Health. “Through this clinical trial, CyMedica and Northwell Health have a unique opportunity to positively measure the effectiveness of e-vive muscle strengthening using a novel, app-based patient-engagement system and smartwatch technology, which patients are already wearing. In turn, patients are able to better manage their symptoms earlier in their knee osteoarthritis journey.”
 
Struan Coleman, M.D., Ph.D., Orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery and co-founder added: “OA knee pain presents a host of challenges for patients and clinicians alike, and as patients are diagnosed at younger ages with knee OA, physicians are seeking opioid-free, inventive therapies to help our patients proactively manage their symptoms and de-escalate the costs of healthcare.”