Leg-PAC is a patent-pending multi-purpose leg Positioning And Conditioning device created by a Lawrence and Memorial Hospital physical therapist, to more fully address the positioning and exercise needs of patients who are hospitalized or undergoing rehabilitation. The leg-PAC device provides

positioning for hip extensor strengthening, knee

extensor strengthening, edema control, heel or

sacral pressure relief and relief of some types of

low back pain.The need for knee extensor

strengthening (quadriceps)

in post-operative or debilitated patients is widely

accepted, but hip extensor weakness (gluteus) is

often under-recognized and under treated. According

to researchers at Ranchos Los Amigos Rehabilitation

Center, hip extensor strength in the elderly has been

identified as “a primary predictor of walking ability,

physical performance, and balance.” However,

assessment of hip extensor strength is commonly

overlooked, according to Ranchos investigators,

due to the “subtle function” of this muscle group,

and the “prone positioning required for conventional

manual muscle testing.”

Since hip extensor strength is often overlooked,

it follows that this muscle group is often under treated. Progressive resistive exercise for the hip extensor muscle group, in supine, has been difficult to provide, partly due to a lack of equipment which properly positions the leg for this type of exer-cise. The leg-PAC provides positioning for hip and knee extensor exercise, and can be used with weights at the pelvis or ankle, for strengthening. The leg-PAC is used at numerous medical facilities in CT including Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, and in many skilled nursing facilities.