Cadence Biomedical Rolls Out First Product

Seattle, Wash.-based Cadence Biomedical has completed development of its first product, Kickstart Kinetic Orthosis. The company is focused on technology that helps people with severe physical disabilities walk—Kickstart is just such a device, designed to help people with weakened muscles regain mobility and independence. Cadence reports that the wearable device was well received by physical therapists, orthotists, and users alike. It is now available in the United States.

“More than two million Americans suffer from severe mobility impairment, and many are underserved by current mobility assistance devices,” said Brian Glaister, president and CEO of Cadence Biomedical. “Kickstart represents an elegant and effective alternative to existing leg braces, which are limited and inflexible, and to robotic devices, which are cumbersome and impractical for daily life. The response from Kickstart early adopter users and clinicians has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are excited to now bring Kickstart to an even wider audience.”

Kickstart stores and releases a user’s own energy to provide walking assistance, improve stability, and enhance physical therapy for those recovering from strokes, partial spinal cord injuries, and other conditions that affect mobility, Cadence claims. Unlike robotic devices, there are no batteries, motors, or noises associated with its use. Interestingly, Kickstart was inspired by the anatomy of horses, whose long tendons span multiple joints and allow for highly efficient walking and running.

“Neurological injuries such as stroke and spinal cord injury often result in severe weakness to the muscles of the leg, which are critical for mobility,” said Jim Lynskey, P.T., Ph.D., associate professor at A.T. Still University in Mesa, Ariz., who also is an expert on physical therapy and neurological impairment. “Kickstart is unique in its ability to assist the hip flexors, the set of muscles that work together to lift the leg and swing through to complete a step. Few mobility impairment aids support and assist this process specifically, which means Kickstart could be an important addition to the physical therapist and fellow providers’ toolset.”

Kickstart is designed to bring new levels of function to those who have plateaued in therapy; it also is intended to support recovery and an enhanced quality of life. A growing body of clinical data speaks to its benefits, including case studies presented at this year’s annual meetings of the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists and the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association. According to those studies, Kickstart users were able to walk considerably farther and faster while using the device. Cadence is conducting clinical studies with academic institutions to further quantify Kickstart’s benefits. The company expects to begin reporting data in 2013.

“Incorporating Kickstart into my practice was a straightforward and simple process, and patients and their supporting family members alike have provided positive feedback on their experiences,” said John Shaffer, LPO, CPO, and partner at American Artificial Limb Company in Seattle, Wash., an early provider of the device. “From my perspective, the device addresses an unmet need and will be a welcome addition to my practice.”

Kickstart is specifically intended for individuals with lower extremity weakness—particularly in the hip flexors and ankle plantarflexors—and poor endurance, secondary to neurological injury or disease such as stroke, incomplete spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis. The device is worn over clothing, and unilateral and bilateral configurations are available. Kickstart must prescribed by a physician and customized by an orthotist.

Diagram of Kickstart Kinetic Orthotic courtesy of Cadence Biomedical.