The "zero-position" of the shoulder joint described by Saha (1961) is recognized as a mechanical position between scapula and humerus, and the "scapular plane" is widely accepted as a mechanical plane at the shoulder joint. On the basis of biomechanical concepts of the "zero-position" and the "scapular plane", the authors designed the "zero-position" functional shoulder orthosis. This orthosis ...

Serial casting is frequently prescribed for toe-walking but that does not allow continued physical therapy (PT). This report described a child and family who chose dynamic splinting (DS) with concurrent PT for treatment. The patient presented with right hemiparesis; below average motor skills and a gait pattern of toe contact (without ankle foot orthosis). Four months of PT plus 6 hours/night o...

Two mechatronics prototypes, useful for robotic neurotreatments and new clinical trainings, are here presented. P.I.G.R.O. (pneumatic interactive gait rehabilitation orthosis) is an active exoskeletonwith an electropneumatic control. It imposesmovements on lower limbs in order to produce in the patient’s brain proper motor cortex activation. Bra.Di.P.O. (brain discovery pneumatic orthosis) is a...

This paper touches upon the issue of designing of an upper-limb exoskeleton used for rehabilitation. Mainly there are presented the results concerning the mechanical design. The exoskeleton, also known as orthosis, has 12 degrees of freedom (DOF). Among 12 DOF there can be distinguished 7 DOF which are actively controlled during rehabilitation, 3 passive DOF which are responsible for wrist move...

Background Custom made foot orthoses remain the ‘gold standard’ because the orthotic geometry is tailored to each patient’s foot. However, due to their reduced cost, in some contexts there has been an increasing preference for prefabricated orthoses. Research has failed to identify major differences between the two types of orthosis [1-4]. This project aimed to design, develop and evaluate a ne...

The effects of the lumbosacral Lumbostab orthosis on intervertebral mobility, spinal geometry, and the geometrical deformations of discs have been investigated with a three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction technique of the lumbar spine. Positions studied are neutral standing, maximal flexion, extension, left lateral bending, and left axial rotation. Results from this preliminary study indicate ...

Background: Emerging research primarily supports 3D-printing as a customizable, replicable orthosis option. However, more emphasizing orthotic users’ viewpoints is necessary to address challenges with wear adherence and satisfaction.