Article

Traditionally, the anatomical knee joint is locked in extension when
walking with a conventional knee-ankle-foot orthosis.
A powered knee-ankle-foot
orthosis was developed to provide restriction of knee flexion during stance phase
and active flexion and extension of the knee during swing phase of gait.
The purpose of this study was to determine differences of the powered
knee-ankle-foot orthosis compared to a locked knee-ankle-foot orthosis in
kinematic data and temporospatial parameters during ambulation. STUDY DESIGN:
Quasi-experimental design. METHODS: Subjects with poliomyelitis (n = 7)
volunteered for this study and undertook gait analysis with both the powered and
the conventional knee-ankle-foot orthoses. Three trials per orthosis were
collected while each subject walked along a 6-m walkway using a calibrated
six-camera three-dimensional video-based motion analysis system. RESULTS: Walking
with the powered knee-ankle-foot orthosis resulted in a significant reduction in
both walking speed and step length (both 18%), but a significant increase in
stance phase percentage compared to walking with the conventional knee-ankle-foot
orthosis. Cadence was not significantly different between the two test conditions
(p = 0.751). There was significantly higher knee flexion during swing phase and
increased hip hiking when using the powered orthosis. CONCLUSION: The new powered
orthosis permitted improved knee joint kinematic for knee-ankle-foot orthosis
users while providing knee support in stance and active knee motion in swing in
the gait cycle. Therefore, the new powered orthosis provided more natural knee
flexion during swing for orthosis users compared to the locked knee-ankle-foot
orthosis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This orthosis has the potential to improve knee
joint kinematics and gait pattern in poliomyelitis subjects during walking
activities.
CI - (c) The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2015.

Langue : ANGLAIS