The skeleton has several fundamental functions in the body, providing protection and structure and safeguarding organs, enabling movement and bearing of weight. The significance of having a complete and strong skeleton is essential for individuals, but it is far from certain for those with a skeletal disorder. Skeletal disorders can manifest in various ways, with the common condition of a more fragile skeleton that is prone to fractures under low force and load. Currently, there are over 450,000 individuals estimated to have the most common skeletal disorder, Osteoporosis, in Sweden alone. In 2019, it was estimated that a total of 124,000 fractures related solely to skeletal disorders occurred in Sweden, equivalent to 338 fractures per day. A registry extract from the Swedish Cause of Death Register in 2019 revealed that deaths related to osteoporotic fractures were the third leading cause of death in Sweden, following dementia and cardiovascular disease. Skeletal disorders not only result in a reduced quality of life for individuals but also impose a state cost of nearly 18 billion SEK per year. This cost exceeds the combined expenses of diabetes care and care for patients with multiple sclerosis today. Despite this, skeletal disorders, according to the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services, remain an undertreated segment, with the majority of cases neither diagnosed, treated, nor provided with other preventive measures for fractures. For Sofie Hellström and her son Gabriel, their perspective on life changed in the summer of 2020 with a diagnosis of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a skeletal disorder. At Karolinska Institutet, they were offered a piece of mattress as hip protection. Sofie then discovered a global lack of functional clothing for individuals in need of extra protection in their daily lives. This became the starting point for the company OICAN and the vision of providing all children with the best conditions to explore the world. The aim of the project has been to create integrated knee protectors that can prevent injuries and fractures to the knee and femur. The goal has been to develop a pair of pants with integrated protection that does not compromise on protective capability, freedom of movement, or aesthetic design. The project has resulted in prototypes of integrated knee protectors for both adults and children, along with corresponding injection molding tools. In the final stages of the project, the prototypes have been integrated into pants and tested with excellent results.

Bakgrund: Patellar tendinopati (PT) är framförallt en vanlig diagnos bland aktiva inom idrotter där hopprörelser ofta förekommer. Diagnosen innebär ofta överbelastning av knäskålsenan, vilket leder till smärta och nedsatt funktionsförmåga. Fysioterapeutisk behandling syftar till att minska smärtan och återställa funktionsförmågan. Infrapatellara remmar (IPR) har använts sedan många år för symptomlindring vid idrottsaktiviteter men det saknas forskning som har sammanställt effekter av användning, vilket föranleder behovet av en systematisk litteraturöversikt. Syftet var att genom en systematisk litteraturstudie beskriva hur IPR används och utvärderas i studier vid PT, rapporterade effekter samt studiekvalitet och preliminär evidensstyrka. Metod: Artikelsökning genomfördes i databaserna PubMed och PEDro. Fem studier analyserades utifrån litteraturstudiens syfte och frågeställningar samt kvalitetsgranskades enligt SBU:s granskningsmallar. Resultat: Av studierna undersökte tre IPR:s effekt på smärtintensitet, två proprioception och två indirekt uppmätt senbelastning. Endast kortsiktiga utfall mättes och när dessa var statistiskt signifikanta var kliniska relevansen ofta oklar. Sammantagen preliminär evidensstyrka bedömdes som måttligt stark. Slutsatser: Studierna visade på varierande effekt av att använda IPR avseende förbättring av proprioception, smärtintensitet och indirekt uppmätt senbelastning. Fler högkvalitativa randomiserade studier behövs och framtida forskning bör undersöka långsiktiga effekter vid användning av IPR. / Background: Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is common in jumping athletes. It’s mostly related to excessive loading of the patellar tendon, which leads to pain and decreased functional capacity. Physiotherapy treatment aims to reduce pain and restore functional capacity. Infrapatellar straps (IPS) have been utilized for many years to alleviate symptoms during sports activities but there is a lack of research that has compiled reports on effects of usage, which leads to the need of a systematic review. Objective: To describe use and evaluation of IPS in studies on patients with PT and describe reported effects, study quality and preliminary strength of evidence. Method: The PubMed and PEDro databases were searched for articles. Five studies were analyzed considering the review’s objective. Study quality was assessed according to SBU’s checklists. Results: Among the studies three investigated the effect of IPS on pain intensity, two on proprioception and two on indirectly measured tendon load. Short-term outcomes were investigated and the clinical relevance was often unclear when outcomes were statistically significant. Total preliminary strength of evidence was assessed as moderate. Conclusion: Variable effects are shown from IPS usage regarding pain intensity, proprioception and indirectly measured tendon load. More high-quality randomized trials and investigations of long-term effects are needed.