Multiplanar Stiffness of Commercial Carbon Composite Ankle-Foot Orthoses
Autor: | Elizabeth Russell Esposito, Benjamin R. Shuman |
---|---|
Rok vydání: | 2021 |
Předmět: |
musculoskeletal diseases
Materials science Test fixture Biomedical Engineering Foot Orthoses Rotation Physiology (medical) medicine Humans Gait business.industry Reproducibility of Results Stiffness Structural engineering musculoskeletal system equipment and supplies Research Papers Carbon Sagittal plane Biomechanical Phenomena Exoskeleton Transverse plane medicine.anatomical_structure Coronal plane Ankle medicine.symptom business Ankle Joint |
Zdroj: | J Biomech Eng |
ISSN: | 1528-8951 0148-0731 |
Popis: | The mechanical properties of an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) can impact how a user's movement is either restricted or augmented by the device. However, standardized methods for assessing stiffness properties of AFOs are lacking, posing a challenge for comparing between devices and across vendors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to quantify the rotational stiffness of thirteen commercial, nonarticulated, carbon composite ankle-foot orthoses. A custom, instrumented test fixture, for evaluating mechanical properties in rotating exoskeletons (EMPIRE), deflected an AFO through 20 deg of plantar/dorsiflexion motion about a specified, but adjustable, ankle axis. Sagittal, frontal, and transverse plane rotational stiffness were calculated, and reliability was assessed between cycles, sessions, and testers. The EMPIRE demonstrated good-to-excellent reliability between testers, sessions, and cycles (intraclass correlation coefficients all ≥0.95 for sagittal plane stiffness measures). Sagittal plane AFO stiffness ranged from 0.58 N·m/deg to 3.66 N·m/deg. AFOs with a lateral strut demonstrated frontal plane stiffnesses up to 0.71 N·m/deg of eversion while those with a medial strut demonstrated frontal plane stiffnesses up to 0.53 N·m/deg of inversion. Transverse plane stiffnesses were less than 0.30 N·m/deg of internal or external rotation. These results directly compare AFOs of different models and from different manufacturers using consistent methodology and are intended as a resource for clinicians in identifying a device with stiffness properties for individual patients. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
Externí odkaz: |