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Studying the effect of kinematical pattern on the mechanical performance of paraplegic gait with reciprocating orthosis

Nakhaee, K ; Sharif University of Technology | 2012

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  1. Type of Document: Article
  2. DOI: 10.1177/0954411912447717
  3. Publisher: SAGE , 2012
  4. Abstract:
  5. Paraplegic users of mechanical walking orthoses, e.g. advanced reciprocating gait orthosis (ARGO), often face high energy expenditure and extreme upper body loading during locomotion. We studied the effect of kinematical pattern on the mechanical performance of paraplegic locomotion, in search for an improved gait pattern that leads to lower muscular efforts. A three-dimensional, four segment, six-degrees-of-freedom skeletal model of the advanced reciprocating gait orthosis-assisted paraplegic locomotion was developed based on the data acquired from an experimental study on a single subject. The effect of muscles was represented by ideal joint torque generators. A response surface analysis was performed on the model to determine the impact of the kinematical parameters on the resulting muscular efforts, characterized by net joint torques. Results indicated that a lateral bending manoeuvre at the trunk would facilitate the foot clearance by reducing the torque requirement of the whole body lateral tilting. For swing leg advancement, the trunk posterior bending manoeuvre was found to be more effective and efficient than the whole body axial rotation, owing to the coupled reciprocal action of the advanced reciprocating gait orthosis. It was hypothesized that a modified gait pattern, with larger trunk movements and no axial rotation, could improve the energy expenditure and upper body loading during advanced reciprocating gait orthosis-assisted locomotion. More detailed modelling and experimental studies are needed to verify this hypothesis and evaluate its potential effects on the soft tissue strains
  6. Keywords:
  7. Advanced reciprocating gait orthosis ; Dynamic modelling ; Gait pattern ; Parametric study ; Spinal cord injury ; Axial rotation ; Energy expenditure ; Experimental studies ; High energy ; Joint torques ; Lateral bending ; Mechanical performance ; Muscular effort ; Orthoses ; Paraplegic gait ; Potential effects ; Reciprocating gait orthosis ; Response surface analysis ; Skeletal models ; Soft tissue ; Spinal cord injuries (SCI) ; Trunk movement ; Whole body ; Six degrees of freedom ; Dynamic models ; Loading ; Three dimensional ; Tissue ; Walking aids ; Degrees of freedom (mechanics) ; Surface analysis ; Gait analysis ; Biological model ; Case report ; Equipment ; Human ; Instrumentation ; Neurologic disease ; Orthosis ; Pathophysiology ; Adult ; Computer Simulation ; Equipment Design ; Equipment Failure Analysis ; Gait Disorders, Neurologic ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Orthotic Devices ; Paraplegia ; Robotics ; Treatment Outcome
  8. Source: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine ; Volume 226, Issue 8 , 2012 , Pages 600-611 ; 09544119 (ISSN)
  9. URL: http://pih.sagepub.com/content/226/8/600.abstract