Genium Knee

The Genium is the most sophisticated microprocessor controlled knee available on the market and is manufactured by Otto Bock. The knee has been nearly 10 years in development and was beta tested by the military. It will become available in June of this year.

Eddy Gosschalk of SCOPe Orthotics & Prosthetics, Inc. was the first civilian in the United States to receive formal training and certification for the Genium. As far as we know, there are currently no other certified clinicians in California.

The Genium knee has several features which make it unique. The knee power lasts up to 4 days. The charging is magnetic so there are no open ports for moisture making it more water resistant than the C-leg. This also means that the knee can be charged through a cosmetic cover. There are additional sensors and a gyroscope in the knee so that it knows where in space it is at all times. This allows the user to walk backwards for example without fear of the knee buckling. The user can walk step over step up stairs as well as down stairs. The user can take small steps or large steps without fear of buckling. The user can step over objects and the knee will be stable when it hits the ground on the other side, no matter whether the knee is extended or not. When getting into a car, the knee will remain outstretched until the patient manually flexes the knee, facilitating pivot turns.

There are 5 alternate modes which can be programmed for activities such as table tennis, inline skating, skiing, bicycling, etc. These are some of the highlights. Physically, the knee is shorter than the C-leg so this will allow for some additional foot options for those who are space challenged.

See the Otto Bock website for more details www.ottobockus.com