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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 …
Optimizing The Rehabilitation Of Elbow Lateral Collateral Ligament Injuries, Ranita Harpreet Kaur Manocha
Optimizing The Rehabilitation Of Elbow Lateral Collateral Ligament Injuries, Ranita Harpreet Kaur Manocha
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Elbow lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injuries frequently arise following trauma, and can result in disabling instability. Typically such injuries are managed with immobilization followed by a graduated exercise regime; however there is minimal biomechanical evidence to support current treatment protocols. This investigation examines the in vitro effectiveness of several rehabilitation techniques using a custom elbow motion simulator. It was found that active range of motion is safest in the overhead position (n = 7). Early motion in this position may reduce the incidence of elbow stiffness without compromising ligament healing following LCL injury. Forearm pronation and active motion stabilize …