Oisín's Rehab Journey: Live Blog
We are committed to showcasing the value our users experience while using the DANU Smart Sock throughout their rehabilitation journey. The unique advantage of wearing DANU is its ability to offer a personalised experience, in a user specific setting, allowing users to be measured against their own baselines and targets rather than standardised population metrics.
Currently, there is a growing demand from patients for greater access to feedback and involvement in their recovery process. This trend aligns with the push for Value-Based Healthcare, where healthcare providers are focusing on delivering individualised care rather than just the volume of patients they treat. While case volumes remain high, the growth of digital healthcare is increasingly apparent.
To highlight this journey, we at DANU have decided to launch a Live Blog documenting Oisín’s rehabilitation experience from knee surgery using the DANU Smart Socks. This blog will include an in-depth look at his injury history and detail a DANU Asymmetry Protocol that will be conducted before surgery, on day 0, and at regular intervals until he achieves his rehabilitation goals.
We will provide weekly updates on his progress, so stay tuned and follow along!
Oisín’s Knee Injury Journey & Upcoming Procedure
As Oisín prepares for his upcoming procedure at the UPMC Sports Surgery Clinic, where he will undergo a Knee Arthroscopy and IT Band release, we take a look back at the injuries and challenges that brought him here.
November 2019 – Bective Rugby Club injury
Injury:
During a match at Bective Rugby Club, Oisín suffered a Tibial Plateau fracture of his left leg, which included:
- A torn meniscus
- Damaged cartilage
- A bone fragment embedded 6mm deep.
Procedure:
Surgery involved the insertion of metal plates and closure of the wound with 32 staples
Goal: Return to competitive rugby.
Rehab & Recovery:
- The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted rehab access.
Despite setbacks, he returned for the final four games of the season, captaining Bective to a league win and a promotion playoff—though they fell short at the final hurdle.
June 2021 – Ongoing Knee Issues
Injury:
Oisín experienced persistent pain, discomfort, and limited movement, especially in lateral motions. The metalwork from his 2019 surgery was suspected as a contributing factor, with the IT Band being a particular issue.
Goal: Regain mobility for running and general sports.
Lifestyle & Adjustments:
- Made a brief return to rugby, but work commitments limited him to just four games before retiring in 2023.
- Focused on cycling for muscle development, commuting daily between Citywest and Merrion Square.
July/August 2024 – Muscle Atrophy & Discomfort
Injury:
Despite rehabilitation efforts, muscle atrophy returned, and discomfort progressed.
Lifestyle:
- A long period without a working bike further impacted his recovery.
- Continued playing 5-a-side, jogging, and completing DANU asymmetry assessments.
September 2024 – Major Setback
Injury:
Significant regression in knee function.
Lifestyle Impact:
- Officially retired from rugby but remained active.
- A critical turning point came during a DANU Padel tournament, where movement felt severely restricted.
- Most recently, he has struggled to climb stairs unassisted.
February 12, 2025 – Knee Arthroscopy & IT Band Release
Diagnosis:
Years of scar tissue buildup had left Oisín’s knee joint extremely tight. During a consultation at UPMC Sports Surgery Clinic, doctors compared his IT Band to a “tight leather belt,” causing severe restriction.
Procedure:
- IT Band release to improve mobility.
- Arthroscopy to remove scar tissue and clean up the cartilage and meniscus.
Goal: Restore pain-free daily movement and return to competing in the Citywest Dad’s 5-a-side League.
DANU Integration: DANU Asymmetry Protocol pre-surgery, on Day 0, and at regular intervals throughout rehab.
February 11, 2025 – Pre-Surgery Assessment
After settling into our new office on Fitzwilliam Lane and getting the DANU Lab up and running, Oisín became our first test subject—perfect timing ahead of his upcoming surgery!
He completed the DANU Asymmetry Protocol along with a Steady State Jog on the treadmill.
Results:
Session summary for the jog
Session summary for the entire protocol
From this assessment, we can clearly visualise a limb dominance on Oisín’s right leg with a strong asymmetry leaning to his left. Makes sense for an instability in the left knee joint. Click into the links to see more details on the sessions.
Check out our Instagram for insights and videos of Oisíns pre surgery testing day!
February 12, 2025 – Day 0 (Day of Surgery)
Oisín’s procedure went smoothly, and he was back on his feet shortly after coming off the surgical table. Of course, he didn’t miss the chance to collect some early data—allowing us to visualise how walking with crutches affected his gait.
Following surgery, rest was the top priority. However, Oisín still managed to complete several assessments in the protocol, including:
- Timed up and Go (TUG)
- Balance assessments
- Crutch assisted walks
- Crutch assisted stair walks
Here’s a visualisation of Oisín’s DANU load and limb dominance score. As shown, the support from the crutches significantly impacts the dominance he places on one limb compared to his unassisted pre-surgery assessments.Cont
- Check out the comparison between his pre-surgery Asymmetry Protocol walk and his first steps down the hospital corridor:
- As expected, there was a significant drop in the left leg’s single-leg balance stability from pre-surgery to Day 0—a natural part of the recovery process.
Oisín’s Knee Injury Journey & Upcoming Procedure
As Oisín prepares for his upcoming procedure at the UPMC Sports Surgery Clinic, where he will undergo a Knee Arthroscopy and IT Band release, we take a look back at the injuries and challenges that brought him here.
Pre-surgery
Day 0
In the coming days, Oisín will repeat the assessment protocol, allowing us to track his progress. Next week, we’ll share a full week of progression data, showing how his gait adapts as he weans off the crutches and how his stability improves over time.
February 20, 2025 – Welcome to the first week of Oisín’s rehab journey!
It’s been a busy one, full of milestones, challenges, and some adorable distractions.
What was the biggest win of the week? Oisín has gone from full reliance on crutches to moving freely without them in just four days! We've also tracked his return to work and how he’s adapting to rehab. Plus, we got to meet two key "team members" in his recovery—his ever-curious daughter (who loved taking on the DANU assessments herself) and his dog, Rubia, who was more of an obstacle than a helper at times. Check them out on Instagram!
Lifestyle Factors: Managing the Return to Work
First Commute Back to the Office on day 6 was a reality check!
This included:
- 50 mins on the LUAS
- 30 mins walking across the city (x2)
While the morning commute went smoothly, the evening was a different story—Oisín’s IT Band wasn’t happy, tightening up on the way home.
Thankfully, his knee held up fine, but by the end of the day, the signs were clear—he’d been pushing too hard. Time to dial it back and focus on recovery!
Key Metrics: Week 1 Progress at a Glance
Oisín’s weekly load & limb dominance scores (from all his DANU assessments from the protocol) show a clear pattern—heavily relying on his right (healthy) leg post-surgery. Which is expected.
Now let's break it down assessment by assessment.
Stair Walking: Getting Back in Rhythm
From pre-surgery to seven days post-op, we saw some major shifts as evident in his comparison report from day -1 to day 7.
- Before surgery (Day -1) – Higher cadence, lower contact time, and shorter strides, but with clear asymmetries.
- Days 1 & 2 post-surgery – Reliance on crutches led to altered gait mechanics.
- After ditching crutches – A steady return to faster contact times and a walking pattern that’s looking more and more like his pre-surgery movement—but without the asymmetry caused by his knee discomfort.
See the progress for yourself here!
2-Minute Walk: Symmetry is Coming Back
A similar trend appears here! Over just seven days, Oisín is slowly regaining normative, symmetric movement patterns—a huge step (literally) toward full recovery.
Single Leg Balance: Strengthening Up
This test has shown major improvements:
Day -1 – Stable but with clear asymmetry
Day 0 – Asymmetry remained and exacerbated following surgery
Day 5 – Increased symmetry – Left leg back to pre-surgery stability, if not a small improvement
Timed Up & Go: Speed & Control Improving
This test is deceptively difficult—standing up from a chair, walking 10m around an obstacle, and sitting back down. He has progressed daily in speed and efficiency. His "obstacle" of choice? Usually a kids’ toy in the living room.
What’s Next?
Week 2 is all about building strength, improving endurance, and regaining full movement confidence. Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to check out the videos of his progress on Instagram!
February 27, 2025 – Week 2: Movement Confidence & Progression
This week marked a significant step forward in Oisín’s rehabilitation journey. Moving beyond basic functional movement tests like walking, stair navigation, and the Timed Up-and-Go assessment, he has now progressed to more dynamic exercises.
His rehab routine now includes single-leg Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs), Goblet Squats, and single-leg step-ups, each designed to challenge his strength, stability and coordination.
With the help of DANU, we’ve been closely monitoring Oisín’s knee stability throughout these exercises, comparing it to his healthy limb. The data provides valuable insights, ensuring his progression remains both safe and effective. Rehab has even turned into a fun family affair, as Oisín’s children eagerly join in whenever they get the chance!
As we do every week, we looked at Oisín’s total weekly load from the DANU Smart Socks and how much he is relying on his healthy limb. The great news? He’s showing steady improvement in reducing limb dominance, a key indicator of progression:
Lets dive a little deeper at the exercises that contributed to this total weekly load score:
2-Minute Walk Test:
We compared Oisín’s pre-surgery assessments with his post-surgery sessions from Week 1 and Week 2—both performed without crutches in this report. The data highlights a steady return to a more natural gait, including a significant increase in stride length this week.
Oisín completed these gait assessments in everyday settings, whether walking from the office or simply within his cul-de-sac. Beyond structured tests, he also wore the DANU Smart Socks for longer, casual walks. While not a direct comparison within the DANU Asymmetry Protocol, this real-world data is crucial in assessing gait patterns outside of controlled rehab sessions.
One particularly interesting dataset comes from a 30-minute walk where Oisín left the office, met a friend for coffee, and enjoyed a walk—something we all try to fit into our daily routines. The asymmetry summary from this session shows that while his overall load and limb dominance continue to improve, he’s still not fully comfortable heel-striking with his left foot. This is an important observation as we work toward full recovery.
Timed Up & Go:
Building on last week’s results, this week’s TUG test report comparison shows a significant increase in peak tibial acceleration and step length. This means Oisín is moving with greater confidence and control—key indicators of progress in functional mobility.
Single-Leg (SL) Stance Stability
Now that Oisín has reached a comfortable and stable single-leg stance, as evident above, he has introduced additional movement challenges into his rehab. By incorporating RDL movements on the floating leg, we can further test the stability of his stance leg.
Interestingly, early results show that his left leg— the injured side—has a higher stability score than his right. This is an unexpected finding, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on how this evolves in the coming days and weeks.
Here are some of the stability results from the movement exercises Oisín completed in week 2:
Single leg step up's (25cm)
Un-weighted goblet squat (x 10)
With steady improvements across all key exercises, Oisín is on the right path. We’ll continue monitoring his gait, stability, and movement confidence as we progress to more advanced rehab phases. Stay tuned for next week’s update as we push forward on this journey!
March 6, 2025 – Week 3: Building Strength & Stability
Welcome to another update on Oisín's rehab journey! This week marked a big milestone as he introduced weights into his exercises during the latter half of the week. In today’s blog, we’ll dive into his progress, focusing on how he’s adapting to added resistance, how fatigue plays a role in his stability, and of course, our usual feature of his rehab partner Rubia, and the ever-camera-ready Mealla! Don’t forget to check out our Instagram for some behind-the-scenes moments.
Tracking Load & Limb Dominance
Looking at his weekly load and limb dominance scores, we’ve seen the asymmetry gap continue to close. However, an interesting shift in limb dominance was observed this week, which could be influenced by factors such as fatigue, muscle adaptation, or daily activity variations.
Gait Assessments: Steady Steps Forward
Oisín took on another 2-minute walking assessment in the park near his home with his rehab sidekick, Rubia. Compared to last week’s longer walk for coffee, we noticed an improvement in his heel strike and overall comfort in shorter durations. While there is still some asymmetry, the gradual return to a more natural walking pattern is encouraging.
2-Minute Gait Summary:
- Improved heel strike in shorter walks.
- Some asymmetry remains but is improving daily.
- More consistency in foot placement and balance.
2 minute gait summary
Single-Leg Stability & Strength Progression
At the beginning of the week, Oisín underwent some single-leg assessments, and the results were promising. His control and stability have significantly improved, giving both him and his physio confidence in his progression to more weight-bearing exercises.
Single-Leg Stance Comparison:
Week 2: Visible asymmetry and slight instability
Week 3: More control, improved balance, and better weight distribution
With this improved stability, Oisín incorporated 10kg weights into key exercises such as Goblet Squats, Single-Leg RDLs, and Step-Ups later in the week. Let’s take a look at how his strength progressed:
Exercise Progression: Strength & Stability Under Load
Goblet Squats:
27/2/25 - Goblet Squat x8 (body weight)
01/3/25 - Goblet Squat x8 (body weight)
03/3/25 - Goblet Squat x8 (10kg)
RDL’s:
27/2/25 - RDL x2 each leg (body weight)
01/3/25 - RDL x2 each leg (body weight)
03/3/25 - RDL x2 each leg (10kg)
SL Step Up’s (25cm):
27/2/25 - SL Step Up’s x8 each leg (body weight)
01/3/25 - SL Step up x8 each leg (Body weight)
03/3/25 - SL Step up x8 each leg (10kg)
The addition of weight challenged his stability, but his body responded well, indicating growing strength and endurance.
Fatigue Monitoring: The Impact on Stability
Throughout the week, Oisín performed three sets of eight reps for each exercise. To track how fatigue affects his stability, we compared the first and final sets in some key movements.
Goblet Squats (Bodyweight) – 27/2/25:
Set 1: Strong, controlled movement
Set 3: Slight form deterioration, highlighting endurance limitations
Single-Leg Step-Ups (10kg) – 03/3/25
Set 1: Balanced, stable execution
Set 3: Minor fatigue-induced instability but maintained form well overall
Week 3 has been a turning point in Oisín’s rehab journey, showing noticeable improvements in strength, stability, and endurance. While fatigue still plays a role in later sets, his ability to maintain control under increased load is a great sign of progress.
Next week – Week 4 – we will be looking at Oisín’s DANU Asymmetry protocol assessments in particular, to see how he has progressed in his rehab from week 1 post surgery.
March 13, 2025 – Week 4: Look at that Limb Dominance Score!!
Welcome back to another weekly update! This week, we're diving deep into comparisons, tracking Oisín’s progress from pre-surgery through Week 1 and now into Week 4 of the DANU protocol.
Want to see these improvements in action? Head over to our Instagram for a visual breakdown of the comparisons we discuss here!
Overall Progress
We’re seeing steady improvements in asymmetries and limb dominance from pre-surgery to now. The data highlights consistent positive trends, reinforcing the effectiveness of the protocol. For an in-depth look at each metric, check out the attached reports!
Asymmetry Summaries
2-Minute Walk Comparison Report
Pre-surgery
Week 1
Week 4
Stairs-up Comparison Report
Pre-surgery
Week 1
Week 4
Stairs-down Comparison Report
Pre-surgery
Week 1
Week 4
Single-leg Balance Assessment Comparison Report
Pre-surgery
Week 1
Week 4
TUG Assessment Comparison Report
Pre-surgery
Week 1
Week 4
Key Takeaways
- Consistent improvements in asymmetry reduction
- Notable changes in limb dominance scores
- Steady recovery progress across all assessment categories
Don’t forget to check Instagram for more insights and visual breakdowns.