Article

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of
producing an orthotic knee joint that could lock and unlock during ambulation for
eventual use in a reciprocating gait orthosis (RGO) for severely disabled
patients. METHOD: Three prototype orthotic knee joints incorporating braking
mechanisms were designed and manufactured to demonstrate their ability to
withstand a maximum calculated sagittal plane bending moment of 73 Nm. Each was
then subjected to bench trials to test their performance against the required
specification. RESULTS: Although all three joints achieved the requirement to
sustain the specified externally applied bending moments, the hydraulic disc
brake system proved significantly superior and was selected for more
comprehensive testing. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirmed the feasibility of
utilising a hydraulic braking mechanism within an orthotic knee joint to
withstand the knee flexing moments during walking in a lower limb orthosis. This
gave the development group confidence to progress to the prototype design phase
with the specific aim of eventually incorporating such a joint in an RGO designed
for severely disabled patients such as those with complete paraplegia up to level
T4 and those with severe neurological dysfunction.
CI - (c) 2011 Informa UK, Ltd.

Langue : ANGLAIS