Effects of Varying Plantarflexion Stiffness of Ankle-Foot Orthosis on Achilles Tendon and Propulsion Force During Gait.
IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng
; 28(10): 2194-2202, 2020 10.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32866100
ABSTRACT
An ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) with a plantarflexion resistance function, improves post-stroke gait. An AFO with a plantarflexion resistance function not only affects the first rocker function and the weight acceptance but also the late stance phase. Achilles tendon extension is important for ankle joint function and for forward propulsion during the late stance phase; however, the effect of an AFO with a plantarflexion resistance function on the Achilles tendon is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of plantarflexion resistance on the extension of the Achilles tendon and the forward-propulsive force. Herein, 10 healthy adult males participated who walked under three different conditions a no-AFO condition and two AFO conditions that had different levels of plantarflexion resistance (P1 and P2). The stiffness value of the P1 and P2 conditions was 0.56 and 1.47 Nm/°, respectively. A three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis system and a musculoskeletal model were used to assess the tendon-length change, the ground reaction force, kinematics, and kinetics data. The change in Achilles tendon length was significantly lower in the P1 and P2 conditions than the no-AFO condition. Furthermore, changes in the length of the Achilles tendon significantly decreased in the P2 condition when compared with that in the P1 condition. The peak anterior ground reaction force was significantly lower in the P2 condition than the no-AFO condition. These results suggest that excessive assist provided by an AFO prevents efficient gait by decreasing both the forward-propulsive force and tendon function.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Tendón Calcáneo
/
Trastornos Neurológicos de la Marcha
/
Ortesis del Pié
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Rehabilitación de Accidente Cerebrovascular
Límite:
Adult
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng
Asunto de la revista:
ENGENHARIA BIOMEDICA
/
REABILITACAO
Año:
2020
Tipo del documento:
Article