| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TOKUHARA Yasuhiko Osaka International Women Univ.Faculty of Human Sciences, Prof., 人間科学部, 教授 (40122139)
MATSUURA Masashi Hyogo Univ.of Teacher Education, Practical Life Studies, Prof., 生活健康講座, 教授 (40036447)
OGAWA Ryokei Kansai Medical Univ., Dept.of Orthop.Surg., Prof., 医学部, 教授 (90077610)
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| Research Abstract |
We developed a long-leg brace with a joint unit that controls knee movements using a microcomputer (Intelligent Brace). Intelligent Brace was applied to normal subjects and patients, and gait analysis was performed. Concerning the gait cycle, the ratio of the stance phase was shorter in gait with the knee locked using a long leg brace than in gait without a brace or gait with the knee controlled by a microcomputer. However, the ratio of the stance phase did not differ between controlled gait and normal gait. The activity of the tibialis anterior was markedly increased from the heel-off phase to the swing phase in locked gait. The muscle activities of lower exiremity were lower in controlled gait than in locked gait. The ground reaction force in locked gait showed spikes immediately after heel-contact in vertical component, and unusual patterns observed at heel-contact in sagittal and lateral component. Therefore, compared with locked gait, gait with Intelligent Brace is smooth and clos
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e to normal gait from the viewpoint of biomechanics. Even in patients with muscle weakness of the quadriceps, control of the knee joint using Intelligent Brace resulted in more smooth gait with low muscle discharge.
Then the subjects were requested to walk on the slope and stairs as follows : normal step (NS), without the brace braced step (BS), knee unlocked without computer control ; locked step (LS), knee locked in extension ; controlled step (CS), computerizing with the HS signal. In the case of ascending staris, each muscle of the thigh muscles with BS was a
quantity of average of 1.23 times %MMT of NS.In particular, CS was low with %MMT of Gm in the movements more couspicuously than BS and NS.Similar trend was looked at by comparison of CS and BS in Bf.
And, in the case of descending stairs, it was showed the tendency that CS was low more either than BS with Vm than BS and NS with GI in %MMT in the movements. LS, as same condition in Long Leg Brace used generally, was low with Bf and Cm than CS.It is thought that it is looked only in CS and, probably, turns it, and this low %MMT originates in the movements. These lines of evidence indicated that the controlled step were similar to those in normal walking and less electrical activities. Less
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