Human lower limbs serve important biomechanical functions, e.g., supporting human body weight, providing power for locomotion, etc. A large number of individuals, however, live with the impairment of such functions. Such functional impairment may be associated with limb loss caused by amputation, or functional degeneration associated with aging or musculoskeletal/neural pathologies (e.g. stroke). Consequently, such individuals are more likely to suffer from impaired mobility and live in a sedentary lifestyle, seriously affecting their independence and quality of life. The research in this thesis seeks to address this problem through the development of actively-powered robotic assistive devices that restore or augment the lost or weakened limb functions. Specifically, two assistive devices are presented, including a robotic knee orthosis that assists the wearer's knee motion in sit-to-stand transfer and other locomotive functions, and a robotic transtibial prosthesis that restores the lost ankle-foot functions for below-knee amputees. In the development of these devices, the design specifications were determined according to the desired locomotive functions and related biomechanical data. Subsequently, the actuation approaches were selected, along with the corresponding actuation mechanisms. The devices have been proven to provide the desired kinematic and kinetic performances through detailed analysis. In the following detailed design phase, 3D solid models were created for the robotic systems and individual components. Finite-Element Analysis was also performed to ensure the strength and rigidity of the structure under load. Finally, prototypes of the devices were fabricated and assembled, and experiments have been devised to measure their kinetic performances in use.

This volume is a comprehensive overview of lower-limb prosthetics and orthotics, covering normal and pathological gait, lower-limb biomechanics, clinical applications, as well as prosthetic and orthotic designs and components. Clinical management is incorporated throughout the text, including basic surgical concepts, postoperative management, preprosthetic care, and training in the use of devices. Additionally, this text incorporates unique features relevant to physicians such as prescription writing and prosthetic and orthotic construction and modification, as well as the latest research regarding energy consumption and long-term utilization of protheses.

Lower-Limb Prosthetics and Orthotics: Clinical Conceptsis a comprehensive overview of lower-limb prosthetics and orthotics, covering normal and pathological gait, lower-limb biomechanics, clinical applications, as well as prosthetic and orthotic designs and components. Joan Edelstein and Alex Moroz have writtenLower-Limb Prosthetics and Orthotics with the clinician’s perspective in mind. Clinical management is incorporated throughout the text, including basic surgical concepts, postoperative management, preprosthetic care, and training in the use of devices. Additionally, this text incorporates unique features relevant to physicians such as prescription writing and prosthetic and orthotic construction and modification, as well as, the latest research regarding energy consumption and long-term utilization of prostheses. Chapters Include: Orthotics in neuromuscular diseases Orthotics in pediatrics Functional expectations Gait and activities training Transtibial and transfemoral prostheses and components Transtibial and transfemoral biomechanics, evaluation, and gait analysis Disarticulations and Bilateral Amputations With over 150 line drawings and photographs to supplement the text, Lower-Limb Prosthetics and Orthotics: Clinical Concepts is ideal for clinicians in the fields of physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopedics, vascular surgery, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Foreword from a Clinical Biomechanist, Applied Physiologist and Prosthetist teaching graduate students in Prosthetics & Orthotics. While there are many books on Biomechanics, arguably the quintessential science of limb prosthetics, none addresses the fundamental principles in sufficient detail and depth to be practically useful to the prosthetist, rehabilitation specialist or researcher. Dr. Pitkin’s monograph is an exemplary collection of theoretical principles from his research and o- ers, presented in its clinical and applied biomechanics form. The textbook provides an excellent overview of the many facets of lower limb prosthetic design and engineering for the ardent clinician researcher and student. The book delves into many of the basic concepts that are required knowledge for the clinician and the scientist to have as the foundation for their work. Dr. Pitkin has an e- quent manner in which he reflects on the history and literature to tell the storied evolution of prosthetic design . He takes the reader on a journey to consider his theories, which have substantive foundations to contemplate. By the end of chapter one, we have the basic h- tory and an appreciation for the rationale behind the “rolling joint ankle” with evidence to support his theoretical views.

The U.S. Census Bureau has reported that 56.7 million Americans had some type of disability in 2010, which represents 18.7 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population included in the 2010 Survey of Income and Program Participation. The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) provides disability benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. As of December 2015, approximately 11 million individuals were SSDI beneficiaries, and about 8 million were SSI beneficiaries. SSA currently considers assistive devices in the nonmedical and medical areas of its program guidelines. During determinations of substantial gainful activity and income eligibility for SSI benefits, the reasonable cost of items, devices, or services applicants need to enable them to work with their impairment is subtracted from eligible earnings, even if those items or services are used for activities of daily living in addition to work. In addition, SSA considers assistive devices in its medical disability determination process and assessment of work capacity. The Promise of Assistive Technology to Enhance Activity and Work Participation provides an analysis of selected assistive products and technologies, including wheeled and seated mobility devices, upper-extremity prostheses, and products and technologies selected by the committee that pertain to hearing and to communication and speech in adults.

Lower limb disabilities caused by factors such as amputation, neuromuscular impairment, and traumatic injury can significantly impact mobility and quality of life. To restore impaired functionality, individuals may use assistive devices such as prostheses, orthoses, or exoskeletons. However, most of the commercially available lower-limb prosthetic devices are passive and do not provide adequate energy or range of motion compared to natural limbs. This leads to compensatory movements, increased moments on the intact side, and fatigue, especially when performing high-energy tasks like stair a...

This book focuses on the advances in transtibial prosthetic technology and targets research in the evolution of the powered prosthesis such as the BiOM, which was derived from considerable research and development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The concept of the book spans the historical evolution of prosthetic applications from passive to new and futuristic robotic prosthetic technologies. The author describes the reasons for amputation, surgical procedures, and an historical perspective of the prosthesis for the lower limb. He also addresses the phases and sub-phases of gait and compensatory mechanisms arising for a transtibial prosthesis and links the compensatory mechanisms to long-term morbidities. The general technologies for gait analysis central to prosthetic design and the inherent biomechanics foundations for analysis are also explored. The book reports on recent-past to current-term applications with passive elastic prostheses. The core of the book deals with futuristic robotic prostheses including their function and major subsystems, such as actuator technology, state machine control, and machine learning applications. Finally, the envisioned future trends in the prosthetic technology space are presented.