scholarly journals The shape of disposable diaper affects spontaneous movements of lower limbs in young infants

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirotaka Gima ◽  
Midori Teshima ◽  
Etsuko Tagami ◽  
Toshihiro Sato ◽  
Hidenobu Ohta

Abstract This study examined the characteristics of young infants’ lower limb spontaneous movements based on differences in shape of diapers. Twenty-seven healthy infants (103 ± 16.3 days old) were enrolled in this study. We measured the spontaneous movements of their lower limbs in four conditions (Naked, wearing Normal type diapers, wearing Type A diapers, and wearing Type B diapers). The Normal diaper has a wider waist belt than the Type A diaper, and the Type B diaper has a narrower crotch area than the Type A diaper. We observed them in seven indices (the velocity of lower limb movements, the trajectory area of knee movement in the sagittal plane and the frontal plane, the distance between both knees and between side of abdomen and knee, and correlation of velocities between side of abdomen and knee and between left and right ankles). The results showed that the velocity of the lower limb movements in the Naked condition was higher than when wearing Normal diapers. The value for the trajectory area of knee movement in sagittal plane, which reflects the range of lower leg lifting movements and closeness of such movements to the trunk, for the Type B diaper condition was higher than that for the Normal diaper condition. This result indicates that the shape of the diaper affects the spontaneous movements of the lower limbs of young infants.

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Chuyi Cui ◽  
Brittney Muir ◽  
Shirley Rietdyk ◽  
Jeffrey Haddad ◽  
Richard van Emmerik ◽  
...  

Tripping while walking is a main contributor to falls across the adult lifespan. Trip risk is proportional to variability in toe clearance. To determine the sources of this variability, the authors computed for 10 young adults the sensitivity of toe clearance to 10 bilateral lower limb joint angles during unobstructed and obstructed walking when the lead and the trail limb crossed the obstacle. The authors computed a novel measure—singular value of the appropriate Jacobian—as the combined toe clearance sensitivity to 4 groups of angles: all sagittal and all frontal plane angles and all swing and all stance limb angles. Toe clearance was most sensitive to the stance hip ab/adduction for unobstructed gait. For obstructed gait, sensitivity to other joints increased and matched the sensitivity to stance hip ab/adduction. Combined sensitivities revealed critical information that was not evident in the sensitivities to individual angles. The combined sensitivity to stance limb angles was 84% higher than swing limb angles. The combined sensitivity to the sagittal plane angles was lower than the sensitivity to the frontal plane angles during unobstructed gait, and this relation was reversed during obstacle crossing. The results highlight the importance of the stance limb joints and indicate that frontal plane angles should not be ignored.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Agboola-Dobson ◽  
Guowu Wei ◽  
Lei Ren

Recent advancements in powered lower limb prostheses have appeased several difficulties faced by lower limb amputees by using a series-elastic actuator (SEA) to provide powered sagittal plane flexion. Unfortunately, these devices are currently unable to provide both powered sagittal plane flexion and two degrees of freedom (2-DOF) at the ankle, removing the ankle’s capacity to invert/evert, thus severely limiting terrain adaption capabilities and user comfort. The developed 2-DOF ankle system in this paper allows both powered flexion in the sagittal plane and passive rotation in the frontal plane; an SEA emulates the biomechanics of the gastrocnemius and Achilles tendon for flexion while a novel universal-joint system provides the 2-DOF. Several studies were undertaken to thoroughly characterize the capabilities of the device. Under both level- and sloped-ground conditions, ankle torque and kinematic data were obtained by using force-plates and a motion capture system. The device was found to be fully capable of providing powered sagittal plane motion and torque very close to that of a biological ankle while simultaneously being able to adapt to sloped terrain by undergoing frontal plane motion, thus providing 2-DOF at the ankle. These findings demonstrate that the device presented in this paper poses radical improvements to powered prosthetic ankle-foot device (PAFD) design.


2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole G. Harper ◽  
Jason M. Wilken ◽  
Richard R. Neptune

Abstract Dynamic balance is controlled by lower-limb muscles and is more difficult to maintain during stair ascent compared to level walking. As a result, individuals with lower-limb amputations often have difficulty ascending stairs and are more susceptible to falls. The purpose of this study was to identify the biomechanical mechanisms used by individuals with and without amputation to control dynamic balance during stair ascent. Three-dimensional muscle-actuated forward dynamics simulations of amputee and nonamputee stair ascent were developed and contributions of individual muscles, the passive prosthesis, and gravity to the time rate of change of angular momentum were determined. The prosthesis replicated the role of nonamputee plantarflexors in the sagittal plane by contributing to forward angular momentum. The prosthesis largely replicated the role of nonamputee plantarflexors in the transverse plane but resulted in a greater change of angular momentum. In the frontal plane, the prosthesis and nonamputee plantarflexors contributed oppositely during the first half of stance while during the second half of stance, the prosthesis contributed to a much smaller extent. This resulted in altered contributions from the intact leg plantarflexors, vastii and hamstrings, and the intact and residual leg hip abductors. Therefore, prosthetic devices with altered contributions to frontal-plane angular momentum could improve balance control during amputee stair ascent and minimize necessary muscle compensations. In addition, targeted training could improve the force production magnitude and timing of muscles that regulate angular momentum to improve balance control.


Joints ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 07 (01) ◽  
pp. 001-007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Cozzi Lepri ◽  
Matteo Innocenti ◽  
Fabrizio Matassi ◽  
Marco Villano ◽  
Roberto Civinini ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Recent advances in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) include an accelerometer portable system designed to improve component position and alignment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether accelerometer navigation system can be a valuable option in complex TKAs for extra-articular deformity of the lower limb or in case of retained femoral hardware. Methods A group of 13 patients underwent TKA with an accelerometer navigation system. Three patients had a tibial extra-articular deformity, six had a femoral extra-articular deformity, and four had an intramedullary nail in the femur. Preoperative and postoperative mechanical axes were measured from full-length lower extremity radiographs to evaluate alignment. The alignment of prosthetic components in the frontal and sagittal planes was determined by postoperative radiographs. Results At 30-days postoperative radiographic check, the hip knee ankle angle was within 2.0° (0 ± 1) of the neutral mechanical axis. The alignment of the tibial component on the frontal plane was 90.0° (range 89–91) and on the sagittal plane 5.0° (range 3–7). The alignment of the femoral component on the frontal plane was 90.0° (range 89–91) and on the sagittal plane 3.0° (range 0–5). Conclusion The alignment of the prosthetic components has been accurate and comparable to other navigation systems in literature without any increase in surgical times. The accelerometer-based navigation system is therefore a useful technique that can be used to optimize TKA alignment in patients with extra-articular deformity or with lower limb hardware, where the intramedullary guides cannot be applied. Level of Evidence This is an observational study without a control group, Level III.


2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanda Forczek ◽  
Robert Staszkiewicz

For many years, mainly to simplify data analysis, scientists assumed that during a gait, the lower limbs moved symmetrically. However, even a cursory survey of the more recent literature reveals that the human walk is symmetrical only in some aspects. That is why the presence of asymmetry should be considered in all studies of locomotion. The gait data were collected using the 3D motion analysis system Vicon. The inclusion criteria allowed the researchers to analyze a very homogenous group, which consisted of 54 subjects (27 women and 27 men). Every selected participant moved at a similar velocity: approximately 1,55 m/s. The analysis included kinematic parameters defining spatio-temporal structure of locomotion, as well as angular changes of the main joints of the lower extremities (ankle, knee and hip) in the sagittal plane. The values of those variables were calculated separately for the left and for the right leg in women and men. This approach allowed us to determine the size of the differences, and was the basis for assessing gait asymmetry using a relative asymmetry index, which was constructed by the authors. Analysis of the results demonstrates no differences in the temporal and phasic variables of movements of the right and left lower limb. However, different profiles of angular changes in the sagittal plane were observed, measured bilaterally for the ankle joint.


Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Alaei ◽  
Thoralf M Sundt ◽  
Udo Sechtem ◽  
Truls Myrmel ◽  
Marco Di Eusanio ◽  
...  

Background: This study assessed the incidence of lower limb ischemia as well as trends in management and outcomes while examining acute aortic dissection patients over a period of 15 years. Additionally, differences in clinical presentation, interventions performed, and mortality between patients with and without lower limb ischemia were investigated. Methods: Lower limb ischemia (LLI) was evaluated among 3812 patients enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection over a 15-year period that was separated into three 5-year intervals: 1996-2001, 2002-2007, and 2008-2012. The cohort was then divided by dissection type and presence or absence of LLI. Results: Type A patients presenting with limb ischemia (N=280, 11.4%) were much more likely to have atherosclerosis (p=0.021) and to present with back, abdominal and leg pain versus chest pain (p<0.001 unless noted). Other symptoms of malperfusion, including ischemic spinal cord damage (p<0.001) and coma/altered consciousness (p=0.006) were more common in patients presenting with LLI. Surgery was less commonly performed in Type A LLI patients (79.3% vs 86.1%, p=0.002), a difference that did not change over time (p=0.453, trend p=0.479). Additionally, overall mortality was higher in LLI patients (37.5% vs 22.9%, p<0.001) and did not show improvement among the LLI cohort over time. Type B patients with LLI (N=102, 7.5%) were more likely to be current smokers (p=0.028), to present febrile (p=0.022), and to have leg pain (p<0.001). As with Type A, ischemic spinal cord damage was more common in the LLI cohort (p<0.001). Patients with LLI were much more likely to be managed with endovascular therapy (19.6% vs 50.0%, p<0.001) than with medication alone (66.5% vs 29.4%, p<0.001), with endovascular repair increasing in LLI patients over time (p=0.008, trend p=0.002). Again, overall mortality was higher in the LLI cohort (24.5% vs 9.7%, p<0.001) and did not change over time. Conclusions: Although Type B patients with LLI received more endovascular procedures in later years, overall mortality did not improve. Increased complications and higher mortality in the LLI cohort suggests a need for better monitoring and increased implementation of interventions in this population.


Author(s):  
Karla A. Camarillo–Gómez ◽  
Gerardo I. Pérez-Soto ◽  
Luis A. Torres-Rico

In this paper, a lower limb orthosis is proposed to form the human gait neuromuscular patterns in patients with myelomeningocele. The orthosis has two lower limbs of 2–DOF each which reduces the motion of the hip and knee to the sagittal plane. The orthosis are assembled in a back support which also supports the patients weight. The control system for the orthosis allows to reproduce in a repetitive, controlled and autonomous way the human gait cycle at different velocities according to the patient requirements; so that, the neuromuscular patterning can be supervised by a therapist. The development of these orthosis seeks to improve the quality of life of those infants with myelomenigocele and to introduce a lower cost Mexican technology with Mexican anthropometric dimensions.


1991 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Engsberg ◽  
K. C. Aldridge ◽  
J. A. Harder

The purpose of this investigation was to compare intersegmental knee and hip forces for below-knee amputee (BKA) and able-bodied children during standing. Three unilateral BKA children and 10 able-bodied children (7-9 years) were tested on four separate occasions at six month intervals. Three trials of external force and spatial data during standing were collected from each subject for each session. These data were utilised to determine the intersegmental forces at the knees and hips of the children using a static force analysis. Results indicated that in some instances the intersegmental forces for the BKA children were significantly greater than those of the able-bodied children and in other instances significantly lower (p < 0.05). In all cases, however, the values were substantially less than corresponding values for walking and running. The effects of the forces upon spatial orientations indicated significant differences between the two groups of children. The frontal plane prosthetic knee angle, the sagittal plane prosthetic and non-prosthetic knee angles, and the sagittal plane trunk angle were all greater for the BKA children when compared to able-bodied children. These differences may be the result of the anatomical structure of the amputee and/or the construction of the prosthesis.


Author(s):  
Francisco Valmor Macedo Cunha ◽  
Tárik Augusto Amorim Rodrigues ◽  
Jonas Almeida Alves ◽  
Jean Douglas Moura Santos ◽  
Maria do Carmo Carvalho Martins

Introduction: Alterations in foot landing position have often been associated with the appearance of deformities in lower limbs. However, there are no studies that prove the relationship between these two variables in healthy individuals. Objective: To investigate the relation between changes in feet and lower limbs by plantigraphy and computerized photogrammetry. Methods: The study included 70 young adults, 42 women (height: 1.60±0.01 m; body weight: 58.0±0.92 kg; body mass index: 22.0±0.31 kg/m2 ) and 28 men (height: 1.70±0.01 m; body weight: 70.0±1.4 kg; body mass index: 23.0±0.42 kg/m2 ) with mean age of 21.62±2.0 and 22.18±2.09 years, respectively. Plantigraphy of both feet and photographic capture in the anterior frontal plane of lower limbs and foot, posterior frontal of the tendon of the calcaneus and in the sagittal plane of lower limbs were performed. Results: A strong positive correlation was observed between the Chippaux-Smirak and the Staheli indexes (Men– r: 0.863 and p<0.001; Women– r: 0.973 and p<0.001) and a weak positive correlation between the malleolar angle and the Cavanagh-Rodgers index (Men– r: 0.386 and p 0.003; Women– r: 0.280 and p 0.010). Conclusion: There was no correlation between footprint indexes and lower limb angles measured by computerized photogrammetry.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (11_suppl3) ◽  
pp. 2325967114S0021
Author(s):  
Tomasz Jurkiewicz ◽  
Daria Mejnartowicz ◽  
Marcin Plenzler ◽  
Anna Mierzwińska ◽  
Marcin Popieluch ◽  
...  

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the level of stability of the lower limbs in dynamic conditions in Karate Kyokushin master class athletes. We compared the results of the karate athletes with the control group. In the analysis, both the dominant (kicking) limb and non-dominant (supporting) one were taken into account. Methods: The study involved 22 Karate Kyokushin master class athletes (13 men and 9 women aged 26.5 ± 3.9). This group consisted mainly of European Championships medalists in various weight categories. Their average training history was 14.6 ± 5.1 years. The control group consisted of 18 healthy, active volunteers (14 men and 4 women aged 21.4 ± 1.2). The measurements of dynamic stabilography were made with the Biodex Balance System (BBS) device. The dispersion of sway in the A/P (anterior/posterior) plane, M/L (medial/lateral) plane and overall stability indicator (OSI) were analyzed. The measurements were made with one leg position on the lower right and left limb successively and consisted of three 30-second repetitions at the second stiffness level of the stabilographic platform. For the purpose of further material development, persons declaring the right lower limb as the dominant one were selected in order to make the test and the control group more homogeneous. The results were analyzed statistically using the U-Mann-Whitney test assuming the significance threshold of p≤0.05. To assess the correlation, the Pearson's correlation coefficient was used. Results: The analysis of the results showed a statistically significant difference in the overall stability indicator (OSI) of a non-dominant (supporting) limb between the test and the control groups. The abovementioned dependence concerning the overall indicator was affected mainly by stability parameters obtained in the A/P sagittal plane. A correlation between the training history and the overall stability indicator (OSI) in both limbs of karate athletes was also demonstrated. Namely, the increase in training experience of the athlete correlated with the increase in the stability level of both legs. Other results showed no statistically significant differences. Conclusion: 1. Kyokushin Karate master class athletes are characterized by lower level of stability of a non-dominant (supporting) lower limb in comparison with the control group. 2. The more training history experience the athlete has gained, the higher stability level in both lower limbs they have.


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