Zimmer Biomet shared early results of a study comparing its app for patients who underwent knee replacements to the institution’s standard of care. According to preliminary data, which has not yet been peer reviewed, the company’s mymobility app saw similar outcomes to traditional care models, with fewer physical therapy visits.
Zimmer Biomet, which manufacturers surgical devices for joint and knee replacements, developed the app. It connects patients with their surgical care team before and after their procedure, provides guided exercises, and pulls in activity data from patients’ Apple Watch. That data, including their steps, heart rate and how many flights of stairs they climbed in the last week, is also shared with clinicians.
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Zimmer Biomet’s mymobility app is designed to help patients prepare for and recover after knee replacements. Photo credit: Zimmer Biomet
The randomized, open-label trial included more than 16 surgical sites. It had 224 patients in the control group, who received the standard of care before and after a knee replacement, typically including physical therapy. Another 192 patients were provided an Apple Watch and the mymobility app. They could also receive physical therapy if deemed necessary by a surgeon.
After 90 days, patients were assessed by their knee range of motion, whether they could balance on one leg for 30 seconds, how long it took them to stand up and sit down, and whether they needed manipulation under anesthesia following the surgery. Patients also were scored using KOOS Jr, a survey on patients’ knee stiffness, pain and daily living function.
Results shared at the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons on Thursday showed that the difference in knee flexion, knee extension, and KOOS Jr scores were not significantly different between the two groups. Patients who were assigned the mymobility app had fewer physical therapy visits.
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“We’re very excited to debut early results from one of the largest clinical studies in orthopedics designed to evaluate the impact of the mymobility remote care management platform on patient outcomes and overall costs of care,” Yvonne Bokelman, Zimmer Biomet’s vice president of clinical affairs and market access, said in a news release.
The study, which was funded by Zimmer Biomet, is still ongoing.
Photo credit: Apple
