Journal article
The influence of ankle-foot orthosis stiffness on walking performance in individuals with lower-limb impairments
Clinical biomechanics (Bristol), Vol.29(8), pp.877-884
09/2014
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2014.07.005
PMID: 25193884
Abstract
Passive-dynamic ankle-foot orthoses utilize stiffness to improve gait performance through elastic energy storage and return. However, the influence of ankle-foot orthosis stiffness on gait performance has not been systematically investigated, largely due to the difficulty of manufacturing devices with precisely controlled stiffness levels. Additive manufacturing techniques such as selective laser sintering have been used to successfully manufacture ankle-foot orthoses with controlled stiffness levels. The purpose of this study was to use passive-dynamic ankle-foot orthoses manufactured with selective laser sintering to identify the influence of orthosis stiffness on walking performance in patients with lower-limb neuromuscular and musculoskeletal impairments.
Thirteen subjects with unilateral impairments were enrolled in this study. For each subject, one passive-dynamic ankle-foot orthosis with stiffness equivalent to the subject's clinically prescribed carbon fiber orthosis, one 20% more compliant and one 20% more stiff, were manufactured using selective laser sintering. Three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data and electromyographic data were collected from each subject while they walked overground with each orthosis at their self-selected velocity and a controlled velocity.
As the orthosis stiffness decreased, ankle range of motion and medial gastrocnemius activity increased while the knee became more extended throughout stance. Minimal changes in other kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic quantities were observed.
Subjects effectively compensated for changes in ankle-foot orthosis stiffness with altered gastrocnemius activity, and the stiffness levels analyzed in this study had a minimal effect on overall walking performance.
•The influence of ankle-foot orthosis stiffness on walking performance was analyzed.•As stiffness decreased, ankle range of motion and gastrocnemius activity increased.•Minimal changes in other kinematic, kinetic and EMG quantities were observed.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The influence of ankle-foot orthosis stiffness on walking performance in individuals with lower-limb impairments
- Creators
- Nicole G Harper - Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USAElizabeth Russell Esposito - Center for the Intrepid, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Brooke Army Medical Center, Ft. Sam Houston, TX 78234, USAJason M Wilken - Center for the Intrepid, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Brooke Army Medical Center, Ft. Sam Houston, TX 78234, USARichard R Neptune - Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Clinical biomechanics (Bristol), Vol.29(8), pp.877-884
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2014.07.005
- PMID
- 25193884
- ISSN
- 0268-0033
- eISSN
- 1879-1271
- Grant note
- name: National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship; name: Center for Rehabilitation Sciences Research
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/2014
- Academic Unit
- Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science
- Record Identifier
- 9984047753002771
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