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.