BACKGROUND Spinal cord injury patients walk with a flexed trunk when using reciprocating gait orthoses. Reduction of trunk flexion during ambulation may produce an improvement in gait parameters for reciprocating gait orthosis users. OBJECTIVES To investigate the effect on kinematics and temporal-spatial parameters when spinal cord injury patients ambulate with an advanced reciprocating gait ...

objectives: this study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a modified floor reaction ankle foot orthosis (frafo) design on gait performance in children with cerebral palsy. methods: eight children with cerebral palsy wore a modified frafo bilaterally for six weeks. motion analysis was used to assess the immediate effectiveness of the orthosis on improving gait and also following six w...

BACKGROUND There are clear indications for benefits of stance control orthoses compared to locked knee ankle foot orthoses. However, stance control orthoses still have limited function compared with a sound human leg. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential benefits of a microprocessor stance and swing control orthosis compared to stance control orthoses and locked knee...

BACKGROUND Improving ankle-foot orthosis design can best be done by implementing a user-centered approach. OBJECTIVE To provide insight into the ideas of ankle-foot orthosis users with flaccid ankle muscle paresis on the importance of activities and suggestions for an improved ankle-foot orthosis design. STUDY DESIGN A focus-group discussion with eight ankle-foot orthosis users (57 ± 5 year...

BACKGROUND The important purpose of a powered gait orthosis is to provide active joint movement for patients with spinal cord injury. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of a powered gait orthosis on the kinematics and temporal-spatial parameters in paraplegics with spinal cord injury. STUDY DESIGN Quasi-experimental. METHODS Four spinal cord injury individuals expe...

BACKGROUND 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. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine differences of the powered ...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of restricted spinal motion on kinematic changes in the lower extremities using a rigid thoracolumbosacral orthosis. [Subjects and Methods] Forty healthy males in their 20s were selected as the sample, which was randomly and evenly divided into two groups: (1) the WT group (with a thoracolumbosacral orthosis) and (2) the WOT grou...

Introduction: Immobilization in a hip spica cast is required in surgical and nonsurgical treatments for children aged three months to four years diagnosed with developmental dysplasia of the hip. Skin complications are associated with the use of the spica cast in 30% of the cases. This research explores the use of photogrammetry and rapid prototyping for the production of a lighter, shower frie...

When humans hop or run on different surfaces, they adjust their effective leg stiffness to offset changes in surface stiffness. As a result, the overall stiffness of the leg-surface series combination remains independent of surface stiffness. The purpose of this study was to determine whether humans make a similar adjustment when springs are placed in parallel with the leg via a lower limb orth...