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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering
Design And Evaluation Of Pediatric Gait Rehabilitation Robots, Cale J. Stolle
Design And Evaluation Of Pediatric Gait Rehabilitation Robots, Cale J. Stolle
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Gait therapy methodologies were studied and analyzed for their potential for pediatric patients. Using data from heel, metatarsal, and toe trajectories, a nominal gait trajectory was determined using Fourier transforms for each foot point. These average trajectories were used as a basis of evaluating each gait therapy mechanism. An existing gait therapy device (called ICARE) previously designed by researchers, including engineers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was redesigned to accommodate pediatric patients. Unlike many existing designs, the pediatric ICARE did not over- or under-constrain the patient’s leg, allowing for repeated, comfortable, easily-adjusted gait motions. This design was assessed under clinical …
The Effects Of Obesity On Resultant Knee Joint Loads For Gait And Cycling, Juan Gutierrez-Franco
The Effects Of Obesity On Resultant Knee Joint Loads For Gait And Cycling, Juan Gutierrez-Franco
Master's Theses
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of cartilage and bone tissue and the most common form of arthritis, accounting for US$ 10.5 billion in hospital charges in 2006. Obesity (OB) has been linked to increased risk of developing knee OA due to increased knee joint loads and varus-valgus misalignment. Walking is recommended as a weight-loss activity but it may increase risk of knee OA as OB gait increases knee loads. Cycling has been proposed as an alternative weight-loss measure, however, lack of studies comparing normal weight (NW) and OB subjects in cycling and gait hinder identification of exercises that may …