Article

A hydraulic stance control knee mechanism (SCKM) was developed to fully support
the knee against flexion during stance and allow uninhibited motion during swing
for individuals with paraplegia using functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS)
for gait assistance. The SCKM was optimized for maximum locking torque for
body-weight support and minimum resistance when allowing for free knee motion.
Ipsilateral and contralateral position and force feedback were used to control
the SCKM. Through bench and nondisabled testing, the SCKM was shown to be capable
of supporting up to 70 N-m, require no more than 13% of the torque achievable
with FNS to facilitate free motion, and responsively and repeatedly unlock under
an applied flexion knee torque of up to 49 N-m. Preliminary tests of the SCKM
with an individual with paraplegia demonstrated that it could support the body
and maintain knee extension during stance without the stimulation of the knee
extensor muscles. This was achieved without adversely affecting gait, and knee
stability was comparable to gait assisted by knee extensor stimulation during
stance.

Langue : ANGLAIS