Abstract
Conventional knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs) are prescribed for people with knee-extensor muscle weakness. However, the orthoses lock the knee in full extension and, therefore, do not permit a natural gait pattern. A new electromechanical stance-control knee-ankle-foot orthosis (SCKAFO) knee joint that employs a novel friction-based belt-clamping mechanism was designed to enable a more natural gait. The SCKAFO knee joint allows free knee motion during swing and other non-weight-bearing activities and inhibits knee flexion while allowing knee extension during weight bearing. A prototype SCKAFO knee joint was mechanically tested to determine the moment at failure, loading behavior, and wear resistance. The mean maximum resisting moment of the SCKAFO knee joint over five loading trials was 69 Nm +/- 4.9 Nm. The SCKAFO knee-joint strength and performance were sufficient to allow testing on a 90 kg subject at normal walking cadence. Proper function of the new electromechanical knee joint was verified in walking trials of an able-bodied subject.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
