Clinical efficacy of the AxisBoard in lateral ankle sprain rehabilitation - AB-099

Genre de projet: Recherche
Discipline(s) souhaitée(s): Performance physique humaine et loisirs, Sciences de la vie, Kinésiologie
Entreprise: DITU Inc.
Durée du projet: 6 mois à 1 an
Date souhaitée de début: Dès que possible
Langue exigée: Anglais
Emplacement(s): Edmonton, AB, Canada
Nombre de postes: 1
Niveau de scolarité désiré: CollègeÉtudes de premier cycle/baccalauréatMaîtriseDoctoratRecherche postdoctoraleNouvelle diplômée/nouveau diplômé
Ouvert aux candidatures de personnes inscrites à un établissement à l’extérieur du Canada: Yes

Au sujet de l’entreprise: 

DITU Inc., operating under the Sidekick brand (sidekicktool.com), is a Canadian direct-to-consumer e-commerce company headquartered in Edmonton, with an additional office in Toronto. Founded in 2015, Sidekick designs and sells evidence-based musculoskeletal health and rehabilitation products that help people recover from chronic pain and injury and improve long-term physical function.
Sidekick differentiates on product quality, proprietary design, and clinical credibility. The company works with physiotherapists, sports medicine practitioners, and industrial designers to ensure each product is grounded in current rehabilitation science. Building a body of clinical evidence around the product line is a strategic priority as the company scales.

Veuillez décrire le projet.: 

DITU Inc., operating under the Sidekick brand, is a Canadian direct-to-consumer e-commerce company developing evidence-based musculoskeletal rehabilitation products. This clinical study evaluates the AxisBoard, a single-leg balance training device, for its effectiveness in ankle sprain rehabilitation. The study will measure clinical outcomes in participants recovering from lateral ankle sprains, with the goal of generating peer-reviewed evidence to support the product's therapeutic claims and inform ongoing product development.
The company's primary objective is product development. Clinical evidence is a strategic input that validates design decisions, strengthens marketing claims, and differentiates Sidekick products in a competitive rehabilitation device market. The study output will be a published clinical paper supporting the AxisBoard's use in ankle sprain recovery protocols.
The candidate will lead the research design and regulatory side of the study. A licensed physiotherapist on the team will design and administer the clinical protocol, and our internal team will handle participant recruitment and day-to-day study logistics. The candidate's responsibilities include:
• Designing the overall study methodology and statistical analysis plan
• Preparing and submitting the research ethics board (REB) application
• Defining participant eligibility criteria, informed consent requirements, and data handling/privacy rules for our internal team to execute
• Coordinating with the physiotherapist on protocol execution
• Performing data analysis and interpreting results
• Drafting the manuscript for submission to a peer-reviewed journal
• Handling any regulatory or publication requirements through to publication
Methodology: An interventional clinical study in participants with diagnosed lateral ankle sprains, who will complete a structured AxisBoard rehabilitation protocol over a defined intervention period. Validated outcome measures (e.g., Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool, Foot and Ankle Ability Measure, Star Excursion Balance Test, range of motion, pain VAS) will be collected at baseline and post-intervention. Final study design and sample size will be determined collaboratively with the candidate.

Expertise ou compétences exigées: 

• Graduate-level training in clinical research, kinesiology, rehabilitation sciences, biomedical sciences, or a related field (MSc or PhD preferred)
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing interventional clinical studies, ideally in musculoskeletal, orthopedic, or rehabilitation contexts
• Working knowledge of research ethics board (REB) submission processes in Canada, including protocol writing, informed consent documentation, and participant data privacy requirements (PIPEDA, applicable provincial legislation)
• Familiarity with validated MSK and ankle-specific outcome measures (e.g., CAIT, FAAM, SEBT) and their psychometric properties
• Strong applied statistics skills, including study design, sample size calculation, and analysis using R, SPSS, or equivalent
• Track record of peer-reviewed publication as lead or contributing author, preferably in rehabilitation, sports medicine, or physiotherapy journals
• Ability to translate clinical findings into clear, defensible scientific writing suitable for publication
• Independent project management: capable of driving timelines, coordinating with a physiotherapist and internal operations team, and delivering against defined milestones
• Clear written and verbal communication in English
• Bonus: prior experience studying balance training, proprioception, or wearable/device-based rehabilitation interventions; familiarity with medical device regulatory considerations (Health Canada, FDA, MDR)