Dear Members,

Alex has completed his initial research phase and has decided on a product he would like to design, and is looking for your help again. Your input has been of real value to his work. So thank you.

Please see the message below from Alex. There are a few questions he has asked, but rather than this information being posted on the forum, please submit your answers to me at sally@nras.org.uk and I will then forward them to Alex.

Many thanks for your help, it is always appreciated.

For my final year Product Design Engineering project i'm beginning the design of a product to use for home exercise for people with arthritis in their knees. The exercise the device will focus on is the seated leg raise. It will be able to provide both assistance in raising the leg for those who need it, and conversely resistance for those who are more able and want to strengthen their leg muscles further. One specific user group I have found is people who have just had knee replacement surgery, and are starting exercise after returning home. It would be great if anyone who feels this product could benefit them could answer a few questions:

1. Do you do home exercise to help with the arthritis in your knees?
2. What kind of exercises do you do? Do you do ones such as the seated leg raise, or leg raises whilst lying down?
3. Are there any factors that put you off doing the exercise, such as pain, busy schedule or motivation?
4. Are there exercises you find too difficult, or perhaps not challenging enough?
4. How do you find building the exercise into a daily routine?
5. Can you feel and see the benefits from doing daily exercise?

If you have had knee replacement surgery:

6. When you were discharged and returned home how well were you able to use your new knee?
7. Did you start and keep to the exercises the physiotherapist advised?
8. How long did it take to be able to fully do exercises such as the leg raise? How long to walk unaided?
9. Did you progress to harder exercises, such as with weights after time? How long?
10. Would you have found benefit in an exercise device to see you through the progress of your recovery - adaptable to each stage?
11. Would you like to see some visual representation of your recovery as it happens? or to track your recovery?
12. What are your opinions on connecting home exercise with an online website, where you could talk to other people in a similar positon, and get in contact with a physiotherapist for advise?
13. In general, how did you find the rehabilitation progress, what problems did you have, how did you motivate yourself?

If you don't feel like sticking to the questions, i'd be happy to just hear about your views and problems in this area.

Thanks for your time

Alex Anderton