Disclosed herein are methods, compositions and tools for repairing articular surfaces repair materials and for repairing an articular surface. The articular surface repairs are customizable or highly selectable by patient and geared toward providing optimal fit and function. The surgical tools are designed to be customizable or highly selectable by patient to increase the speed, accuracy and simplicity of performing total or partial arthroplasty.

A deep tendon reflex-eliciting device actuated by pressure against a patient's skin, which releases a spring-loaded mass that delivers an impulse through a fully-enclosed housing. This device includes a weight contained within the casings, and a mainspring in communication with the weight. The mainspring has a bias toward expansion. In the compressed position, the mainspring is also compressed, and the weight is pushed backwards into the rear casing. The weight is released to be driven forward by the mainspring. The weight strikes the inside of the forward casing, delivering an impulse to a surface against which the device is pressed. A reset spring can push apart the forward and rear casings to reset the device to its expanded position. A case screw is also included which is able to consistently set the impact force of the device.

Systems and methods for an intuitive display of one or more anatomical objects are provided. One or more 3D medical images of one or more anatomical objects of a patient are received. Correspondences between the one or more 3D medical images and points on a 2D map representing the one or more anatomical objects are determined. The 2D map is updated with patient information extracted from the one or more 3D medical images. The updated 2D map with the determined correspondences is output.

In a method for detecting carpal tunnel using an ultrasonic detection device, the palm is placed on a flat surface, and the fingers are naturally stretched out to form a 5 shape; a mark is placed 0.5 cm above the crease of the palm (Distal wrist crease), and the probe unit of an ultrasonic detection device is placed at the short axis position of the wrist joint. By rotating the probe unit, the probe unit, the marker, and the index finger are on the same axis (index finger axis), so that the image of the carpal tunnel section of the palm can be obtained on a display of the ultrasonic detection device. Accordingly, the detection method is accurate and efficient, correctly guides students and doctors to find the position of the carpal tunnel correctly, and avoids the purposeless search for the position of the carpal tunnel by the probe on the palm, and subsequent treatment.

Implantable sensors are described that can be utilized in conjunction with orthopedic implants for monitoring fracture healing and detecting local chemical concentrations to detect and monitor implant associated infection. The sensors can include strain gauges, electrochemical, or spectrochemical sensors that can be read transdermally using a single photodetector. Sensors can be affixed to implantable support devices so as to non-invasively monitor the effect of load on the implant to provide a quantitative assessment of when a fracture is sufficiently healed to allow safe weight-bearing upon the limb. Alternatively, sensors can monitor the local concentration of infection biomarkers, for instance to monitor the implant area for early stage infection.

Provided is a non-invasive system and method of determining pennation angle and/or fascicle length based on image processing. An ultrasound scan image is processed to facilitate distinguishing of muscle fiber and tendon. The processed ultrasound scan image is then analyzed. The pennation angle and/or fascicle length is determined based on the analysis. An example method includes receiving an ultrasound scan image of at least a portion of a skin layer as disposed above one or more additional tissue layers, the image provided by a plurality of pixels. The method continues by introducing noise into the pixels of the image and thresholding the pixels of the image to provide a binary image having a plurality of structural elements of different sizes. The method continues with morphing the structural elements of the binary image to remove small structural elements and connect large structural elements. With this resulting image, the method distinguishes muscle fiber and tendon from remaining elements and determines the pennation angle and/or the fascicle length from the muscle fiber and the tendon. Associated apparatuses and computer program products are also disclosed.

A physiological feature of a subject is monitored by implanting a plurality of targets, such as magnets, and detecting at least one change in a physical property of the targets, followed by modifying a physiological feature of the subject in response to a change of state detected by the change in physical property detected in the targets. Cutaneous sensory feedback and proprioceptive feedback in a subject, as well as selective stimulation of axons or nerve fascicles of a neuron of a subject are provided.

Optical probes for port-based corridor surgery are provided, including a device comprising: a surgical tool mounting adaptor configured for mounting to a surgical tool; an optical probe attached to the surgical tool mounting adaptor, the optical probe comprising: an optical interface end; an optical output end, distal the optical interface end, the optical output end comprising illumination optics and collection optics, the illumination optics configured to illuminate tissue proximal the optical output end, the collection optics configured to collect an optical signal from the tissue; one or more illumination optical fibers configured to convey illumination light from the optical interface end to the illumination optics; and, one or more collection optical fibers configured to convey the optical signal collected by the collection optics to the optical interface end.

An Active Ankle Foot Orthosis (AAFO) is provided where the impedance of an orthotic joint is modulated throughout the walking cycle to treat ankle foot gait pathology, such as drop foot gait. During controlled plantar flexion, a biomimetic torsional spring control is applied where orthotic joint stiffness is actively adjusted to minimize forefoot collisions with the ground. Throughout late stance, joint impedance is minimized so as not to impede powered plantar flexion movements, and during the swing phase, a torsional spring-damper (PD) control lifts the foot to provide toe clearance. To assess the clinical effects of variable-impedance control, kinetic and kinematic gait data were collected on two drop foot participants wearing the AAFO. It has been found that actively adjusting joint impedance reduces the occurrence of slap foot, allows greater powered plantar flexion, and provides for less kinematic difference during swing when compared to normals.

A method of measuring a tissue parameter such as proteoglycan content and other relevant tissue parameters, e.g. tissue pH, in a tissue or an organ of a subject includes generating first and second frequency magnetic resonance data using T.sub.1 scans at different frequencies, wherein the frequencies are symmetric. The method also includes combining the first frequency magnetic resonance data and the second frequency magnetic resonance data to remove a number of contributions from a number of relaxation mechanisms other than chemical exchange, thereby obtaining chemical exchange-specific magnetic resonance data indicative of the tissue parameter in the tissue or the organ. The chemical exchange-specific magnetic resonance data may be used to measure the proteoglycan content in the tissue or organ.