Cincinnati Children’s is First U.S. Hospital to Use Specialized Rehabilitation Device

Friday, January 07, 2011

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is the first hospital in the US to use the specialized ArmeoSpring Pediatric rehabilitation device. The device, which helps children improve their upper extremity function, will be used in the division of Occupational and Physical Therapy.

“Benefits of the ArmeoSpring include building strength and endurance, increasing active range of motion, facilitating any residual motor function and enhancing motor learning and control,” says Kristen Krumanaker, an occupational therapist at Cincinnati Children’s.

“The patient populations that will most be helped by the ArmeoSpring are children with upper body challenges resulting from cerebral palsy, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, brain tumor resections and other musculoskeletal disorders affecting the upper body,” she says.

The ArmeoSpring works by embracing a child’s arm from shoulder to hand and through a system of complex springs allows body weight support for the affected arm. It also includes a hand-grip for functional reaching and grasping tasks. During a treatment session, the child sits in front of a computer and can choose from a library of games and activities to enhance motivation and provide live feedback regarding performance. The therapist can set client-specific parameters so that the child receives a customized therapy session.

Krumanaker says Cincinnati Children’s is developing evidence-based treatment protocols for the ArmeoSpring to improve care for patients.

About Cincinnati Children’s

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is one of just eight children’s hospitals named to the Honor Roll in U.S. News and World Report’s 2010-11 Best Children’s Hospitals. It is ranked #1 for digestive disorders and highly ranked for its expertise in pulmonology, cancer, neonatology, heart and heart surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, diabetes and endocrinology, orthopedics, kidney disorders and urology. Cincinnati Children’s is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health. It is internationally recognized for quality and transformation work by Leapfrog, The Joint Commission, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and by hospitals and health organizations it works with globally. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org.