Therapy Car Rehabs Patients With New Hips, Knees

Therapists at Virginia Mason Hospital and Seattle Medical Center have invented a “therapy car” which they use to help patients recovering from hip and knee replacement surgery practice getting in and out of a vehicle without injuring themselves.

As Deborah Cutchin, director of the Virginia Mason Kaizen Promotion Office, explained, “A patient with a new hip or knee faces restrictions and physical limitations that make getting in and out of a car a significant challenge. Until our team developed the therapy car, none of our patients was able to realistically practice getting in and out of a vehicle before they actually got into one to go home after surgery.”

The hospital has applied to the U.S. Patent office for a patent on the car. The patent application reads, “The therapy device includes an adjustable ground clearance, an adjustable seat, an adjustable roof line, and a floor plate. The therapy device is portable, lightweight, and compact. Patients may use the therapy device in a physical therapy setting in order to practice getting into and out of a passenger seat that resembles the passenger seat of their own vehicle.”

According to the press release, the car weights less than 150 pounds and can be wheeled around to any part of the hospital. It is constructed of lightweight plastic tubing and connectors that allow a variety of configurations to help patients practice mobility.

The rehabilitation department team members are still looking for a name for their “therapy car.” They believe that the car will be eventually commercially manufactured and made available to orthopedic departments across the nation.