The current method of gait analysis has several limitations for determining gait stability, such as a complicated preparation process, repeated experimental procedures that are time-consuming, and financial burden of experiments. This study investigated whether gait stability could be analyzed using only the COM-COP (Center of Mass-Center of Pressure) inclination angle connecting COM and COP. COM and COP coordinates were obtained from a motion analysis system for a total of 40 elderly and young subjects. The COM-COP inclination angle that changed in real time during level walking was then analyzed to obtain gait stability on each of sagittal and frontal planes using these coordinates. As a result, the gait symmetry index on the sagittal plane did not show a statistically significant difference between young and elderly subjects (First Step, p = 0.189; Second Step, p = 0.711). On the frontal plane, elderly subjects showed 0.39 degrees (p = 0.058) and 0.5 degree (p = 0.03) larger side-to-side sway angles in the first and second steps than young subjects, respectively. Gait stability can be analyzed using a more simplified experimental method with minimum amount of data in future gait analysis.

Safe pre-operative traction applied and maintained to the fractured site in fracture reduction surgery is crucial. However, existing traction techniques performed by clinicians or manual traction devices are not elaborate and have no traction force information considering differences in patients’ bodies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate joint loads of fractured sites as pre-operative traction forces considering body mass index (BMI) during fracture reduction surgeries using a robotassisted device. We developed a lower-extremity dummy model to measure joint loads at hip, knee, ankle, and fractured sites. In 240 cases, four BMI types, six traction forces and two fractured sites were used. Results showed that joint load on major joints decreased as BMI increased. Additionally, joint load increased proportionally in the fractured tibia, but showed inverse tendency in the fractured femur. Control errors of up to 20% in repetitive control and approximately 30% in random control were measured, in comparison to estimated joint loads. Control error increased as traction force decreased. It is possible that applicability of robot systems to safe and precise surgical assistance can be validated. More precise traction control and real-time traction load monitoring technology will enable replacement of traction techniques in the near future.

Electric handbike can be easily detachable to various sizes of manual wheelchair and the elderly and people with disabilities can use them easily. Therefore, connectors used for coupling between the handbike and manual wheelchair must secure structural stability for occupant safety. However, related research is rare. The aim of this study is to find the connector with highly structural stability by comparing static and dynamic mechanical characteristics among three typical connectors(a snatch lock, a slide latch, and a fastener) by computational simulations. To perform static and dynamic simulation, we referred to durability test based on Korean Standards and then calculated mechanical stresses in connectors. The results showed that the snatch lock addressed the lowest von-mises stress under the same mechanical condition. Therefore when using the combination of a handbike and a wheelchair, we concluded that the snatch lock is considered as the structurally stable connector to structural stability and usability.

Research involving discomfort or pain related to haptic vibratory stimulation the for prosthesis users of myoelectrical hand is very lacking. Our objective of this study was to evaluate the displeasure and sensitivity of areas in forearm using vibration stimulation system between upper limb amputees and non-amputees. Twenty transradial amputees and forty non-amputees (20 youth, 20 elderly) were involved. We set up custom-made vibration stimulation system including eight actuators (4 medial parts and 4 lateral parts) and GUI-based acquisition system, to investigate changes of residual somatosensory sensibility and displeasure at proximal 25% of forearm. Eight vibration actuators were attached to the circumference of proximal 25% point of forearm at regular intervals. Sensitivity tests were used to stimulate the 120㎐ and discomfort experiment was used to 37 ~ 223㎐. The subjective responses were evaluated by 10 point scale. The results showed that both groups were similar in sensitive areas. Response at around of radius was most sensitive than other areas in all subjects. Elderly group do not appear discomfort of vibrotactile; however, youth group and amputee presented discomfort of vibrotactile. Prosthesis with a vibrotactile feedback system should be developed considering the sensitivity. Furthermore, Future studies should investigate the scope of application of that principle.

Determining of the exercise intensity is very important in terms of induction of low fatigue during exercise. Little information is available on the contraction level of the trunk muscles during whole body tilts with and without axial rotation. This study was to investigate the difference muscle activation level according to axial rotation. Twenty subjects were participated. The muscle activities of the five trunk muscles were bilaterally measured at eight axial rotation angles with 12 tilt angles along 15° intervals. The results showed that tilt with 45° axial rotation was more balanced in the same tilt angle and was maintained approximately level of 40% MVC at over 60° tilt angle with respect to co-contraction of abdominal and back muscle. Lumbar stabilization exercise using whole body tilts would be more effective with axial rotation than without axial rotation in terms of muscle co-contraction.

Although prosthetic training was received, most of amputees mainly depend on visual feedback to use prostheses, not on cutaneous and proprioceptive sensibility. Our objective of this study was to determine if there are changes in the somatosensory sensibility of amputees compared to non-amputees using multi-channel vibration stimulation system. One transradial amputees and ten non-amputees were involved. To investigate changes of residual somatosensory sensibility at stump, we set up custom-made vibration stimulation system including eight actuators (4 medial and 4 lateral) and GUI-based acquisition system. The results showed that there was similar pattern of subjective response at most of channels among group as stimulation increases. However, amputees’ subjective response at channel 8 for 238㎐ vibration was more sensitive than that of healthy persons. With respect to channels, response at channel 4 (medial) corresponding region to flexor carpi ulnaris for transradial amputees was most sensitive than other channels. In addition, sensitivity of four medial channels was on average about 0.5 scale than that of four lateral channels. Somatosensory sensibility was amputee, women, and men in sensibility order.

It is important to consider lumbar lordotic angle for setup of training program in field of sports and rehabilitaton to prevent unexpected posture deviation and back pain. The purpose of this study was to analyze the biomechanical impact of the level of lumbar lordosis angle during isokinetic exercise through dynamic analysis using a 3-dimensional musculoskeletal model. We made each models for normal lordosis, excessive lordosis, lumbar kyphosis, and hypo-lordosis according to lordotic angle and inputted experimental data as initial values to perform inverse dynamic analysis. Comparing the joint torques, the largest torque of excessive lordosis was 16.6% larger and lumbar kyphosis was 11.7% less than normal lordosis. There existed no significant difference in the compressive intervertebral forces of each lumbar joint (p＞0.05), but statistically significant difference in the anterioposterior shear force (p＜0.05). For system energy, lumbar kyphosis required the least and most energy during flexion and extension respectively. Therefore during the rehabilitation process, more efficient training will be possible by taking into consideration not simply weight and height but biomechanical effects on the skeletal muscle system according to lumbar lordosis angles.

This study examined the differences in spatio-temporal parameters, joint angle, ground reaction force(GRF), and joint power according to the changes of gait speed for trans-tibial amputees to investigate the features of the energy-storing foot for sports. The subjects walked at normal speed and at fast speed, wearing a single-axis type foot (Korec) and an energy-storing foot for sports (Renegade) respectively. The results showed that Renegade yielded faster gait speed as well as more symmetric gait pattern, compared to Korec. However, as gait speed was increased, there was no significant difference in kinematics, ground reaction force, and joint power between two artificial foots. This was similar to the results from previous studies regarding the energy-storing foot, where the walking velocity and gait symmetry have been improved. Nevertheless, the result of this study differed from the previous ones which reported that joint angle, joint power, and GRF increased as the gait speed increased except spatio-temporal parameters.

Although manual traction, one of pain therapies, was applied in clinic to relief pain, the study was rare on the manual force and displacement of ligaments at knee joint during manual traction. The aim of this study is to quantify not only manual force at knee joint but also elongated displacement of joint ligament by C-arm scanning and motion analysis. Twenty-one healthy subjects were tested with manual traction from grade Ⅰ to grade Ⅲ under neutral position by a physical therapist. We calculated traction force using joint forces of both hands and elongated displacement of joint ligament were measured. The results showed that traction forces by C-arm scanning analysis were averagely 1.67-fold greater than those by motion analysis, but elongated displacements were instead averagely 2.36-fold smaller than motion analysis. Finally, we could estimate relationship between traction force and elongated displacement at knee joint by two methods.

The novel implant system was developed using osseo-integration technology which enable amputee to overcome skin troubles in use of previous socket system and was evaluated in view of biomechanics, radiology, histology, and pathology. The osseo-integrated implants were designed and manufactured using CT image of canine’s tibia and were applied to laboratory animals(canines). The follow-up studies were performed for 24 months with 10 canines. In radiology examination, we found that the relative low strain distribution caused medial and posterior bone resorption and then we verified them by biomechanical testing. In histological approach, the complete osseo-integration was observed through the activity of osteoblast cells around bone-implant interface and the radial outer region of bone due to peristeum reaction. Lastly in pathological aspect, the evidence of superficial infection was detected but that of deep infection was not. Therefore it is thought that infection problem will be overcome by immunity of body and good hygiene.

The optimized prosthetic mass distribution was a controversial problem in the previous studies because they are not supported by empirical evidence. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of prosthetic mass properties by modeling musculoskeletal system, based on the gait analysis data from two above-knee amputees. The joint torque at hip joint was calculated using inverse dynamic analysis as the mass was changed in knee and foot prosthetic components with the same joint kinematics. The results showed that the peak flexion and abduction torque at the hip joint were 5 Nm and 15 Nm when the mass of the knee component was increased, greater than the peak flexion and abduction torque of the control group at the hip joint, respectively. On the other hand, when the mass of the foot component was increased, the peak flexion and abduction torque at the hip joint were 20 Nm and 15 Nm, greater than the peak flexion and abduction torque of the control, respectively. The hip flexion torque was 4.71-fold greater and 7.92­fold greater than the hip abduction torque for the knee mass increase and the foot mass increase on the average, respectively. Therefore, we could conclude that the effect of foot mass increase was more sensitive than that of knee mass increase for the hip flexion torque. On the contrary, the mass properties of the knee and foot components were not sensitive for the hip abduction torque. In addition, optimized prosthetic mass and appropriate mass distributions were needed to promote efficiency of rehabilitation therapy with consideration of musculoskeletal systems of amputees.

It is important to understand the characteristics of amputee gait to develop more advanced prostheses. The aim of this study was quantitatively to analyze the stair climbing task for the above-knee amputee with a prosthesis and to predict muscle forces and joint moments at musculoskeletal joints by dynamic analysis. The three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of lower extremities was constructed by gait analysis and transformation software for one above-knee amputee and ten healthy people. The measured ground reaction forces and kinematical data of each joint by gait analysis were used as input data during inverse dynamic analysis. Lastly, dynamic analysis of above-knee amputee during stair climbing were performed using musculoskeletal models. The results showed that summed muscle forces of hip extensor of amputated leg were greater than those of sound leg but the opposite results were revealed at hip abductor and knee flexor of amputated leg. We could also find that the higher moments at hip and knee joint of sound leg were needed to overcome the flexion moment caused by body weight and amputated leg. In conclusion, dynamic analysis using musculoskeletal models may be a useful mean to predict muscle forces and joint moments for specific motion tasks related to rehabilitation therapy.