Investigation of Maximum Voluntary Contraction Activity during Robotic Gait

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate healthy people’s and patients’ lower extremity muscle activities during robotic gait using kinesiology analysis. Initially, muscle signals were taken from 6 paraplegic patients such as spinal cord injury (SCI) and stroke patients, 2 hemiplegic patients and 4 healthy persons. Then, signals were analyzed by using signal processing techniques such as filtering, rectifying, Root Mean Square (RMS) and also by calculating the Max Voluntary Contraction (MVC). As a result, it was seen that hip muscles such as the Gluteus Maximus (GMA), Gluteus Medius (GM) and Iliopsoas (ILP) had lower MVC values in the hemiplegic patients than those of the SCI patients and the healthy persons. Additionally, when the signals that were obtained were analyzed, it was found that the activity of the Medial Gastrocnemius (MG) muscle could be used in determination of movement path and movement intention. Moreover, the EMG results of gait motion may be helpful in applying accurate amplitude and frequency stimulation in epidural stimulation (ES) therapy.