DynoBrace: Stability Control of Ankle Joint Using a Mobile App Controlled Smart Brace Device

Abstract

Ankle joint injuries and instability are becoming the most common injury involving the musculoskeletal system. People’s lifestyles consist of a variety of activities which would involve stretching and tearing of the three outer ligaments of the foot. Almost 2.15 per 1000 persons, in the general population, per year will experience some form of ankle joint sprain or injury. Although in many cases the patients go on to heal without long term consequences, some may go on to develop chronic ankle instability overtime. As the ankle heals, different braces are introduced to the patient. The constant stiffness that passive braces impose on the patient can negatively affect the gait cycle and the overall motion of the ankle joint over time. Ankle joint instability is a debilitating condition incorporating recurrent sprains, persistent pain and repeated instances of giving way. Wearable ankle braces or assistive devices are intended to provide stability to the injured joint and help the user to get back to the normal lifestyle while the joint is healing and recovering its normal function. Although such devices have been shown to be useful, many limitations interfere with user’s lifestyle by preventing them to pursue occupational or normal day activities due to joint impairment. Lengthy recovery time due to lack of the joint’s natural activity is an example of such limitation. Controlled and limited exercise and mobility is important during recovery to improve the function in the nerves in the joint, increase stability, and decrease the patient’s recovery time. This paper discusses a dynamic wearable smart brace developed and designed to improve the function and preserve the anatomical range of motion of the ankle joint in adults who suffer from ankle joint injury or instability. This paper illustrates the design of the DynoBrace, a smart, adaptive and dynamic brace that uses Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology integrated with the help of a user-friendly mobile device application. The design of the interface is proposed to be a printed circuit board (PCB) of a relatively small size that attaches to the brace. This PCB will be connected to the sensors through wires and will connect to the smart devices wirelessly via Bluetooth. User defined comfort and range of motion is of paramount importance for this smart adaptive brace.