A Technique to Detect Fatigue in the Lower Limbs

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullatif A. Alwasel ◽  
Eihab M. Abdel-Rahman ◽  
Carl T. Haas
Keyword(s):  
Phase Space ◽  
Knee Joint ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Time History ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Kinematic Chain ◽  
Kinematic Parameter ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Reconstructed Phase Space

As muscles fatigue, their passive and active mechanical properties change increasing the susceptibility of the human body to damage. The state-of-the-art technique for muscle fatigue detection, EMG signals, is cumbersome. This paper presents a technique to detect fatigue by tracking a kinematic parameter of the musculoskeletal system. The method uses the time-history of a single joint angle to detect fatigue in the lower limbs. A sensor is mounted to the knee joint to measure the knee flexion angle. Time delay embedding is used to track the orbit of knee joint motions in a reconstructed phase-space. The reconstructed phase-space allows us to obtain information about other body parts and joints of the lower limb in addition to the knee joint, since they are all connected in an open kinematic chain. Long-time drift in the orbit location and shape in phase-space is quantified and used as a measure of lower limb fatigue. The proposed technique presents a mobile, wireless, and cheap method to assess fatigue that can act as an early warning system for the lower limb.

Design of a Human Knee Reeducation Mechanism

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-53
Author(s):  
Allaoua Brahmia ◽  
Ridha Kelaiaia
Keyword(s):  
Lower Limb ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Kinematic Chain ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Kinematic Structure ◽  
Robotic Device ◽  
Human Knee ◽  
Kinematic Study ◽  
Rehabilitation Exercise ◽  
New Machine

Abstract To establish an exercise in open muscular chain rehabilitation (OMC), it is necessary to choose the type of kinematic chain of the mechanical / biomechanical system that constitutes the lower limbs in interaction with the robotic device. Indeed, it’s accepted in biomechanics that a rehabilitation exercise in OMC of the lower limb is performed with a fixed hip and a free foot. Based on these findings, a kinematic structure of a new machine, named Reeduc-Knee, is proposed, and a mechanical design is carried out. The contribution of this work is not limited to the mechanical design of the Reeduc-Knee system. Indeed, to define the minimum parameterizing defining the configuration of the device relative to an absolute reference, a geometric and kinematic study is presented.

Design of an Orthosis for the Weight Balance of Human Lower Limbs

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Win-Bin Shieh ◽  
Dar-Zen Chen ◽  
Chia-Chun Wu
Keyword(s):  
Knee Joint ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Gravity Effect ◽  
Normal Walking ◽  
Anthropometric Parameters ◽  
Large Power ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Exact Positions

Most existing lower limb orthosis use actuators and active controller to guide the motion of human lower limbs. Actuators with relatively large power are usually required to compensate the gravity effect of the human lower limbs, even for a normal walking. Hence, design of an orthosis for the weight balance of human lower limbs is desired. For the motion compatibility, the human hip joint is treated as a planar pair and the knee joint as a revolute pair. As a consequence, while the lower limb is in motion, the exact positions of the mass centers of the human lower limbs cannot be obtained. Hence, in this work, topological synthesis of the orthosis mechanisms, which can trace the mass centers of the human thigh and shank, respectively, is implemented. The weight balance of the human lower limbs is achieved by fitting a minimum number of zero-free-length springs. Based on the anthropometric parameters, dimensions of the lower limb orthosis is determined and the proposed design is justified by the simulation executed by the software of ProEngineer. Finally, a first generation prototype is built.

scholarly journals Sport prostheses and prosthetic adaptations for the upper and lower limb amputees: an overview of peer reviewed literature

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihai Bragaru ◽  
Rienk Dekker ◽  
Jan HB Geertzen
Keyword(s):  
Lower Limb ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Medical Subject Headings ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Mesh Terms ◽  
New Research ◽  
Lower Limb Amputees

Background:Sport prostheses are used by both upper- and lower-limb amputees while participating in sports and other physical activities. Although the number of these devices has increased over the past decade, no overview of the peer reviewed literature describing them has been published previously. Such an overview will allow specialists to choose appropriate prostheses based on available scientific evidence rather than on personal experience or preference.Objective:To provide an overview of the sport prostheses as they are described by the papers published in peer reviewed literature.Study Design:Literature review.Methods:Four electronic databases were searched using free text and Medical Subject Headings (MESH) terms. Papers were included if they concerned a prosthesis or a prosthetic adaptation used in sports. Papers were excluded if they did not originate from peer reviewed sources, if they concerned prostheses for body parts other than the upper or lower limbs, if they concerned amputations distal to the wrist or ankle, or if they were written in a language other than English.Results:Twenty-four papers were included in this study. The vast majority contained descriptive data and consisted of expert opinions and technical notes.Conclusion:Data concerning the energy efficiency, technical characteristics and special mechanical properties of prostheses or prosthetic adaptations for sports, other than running, are scarce.Clinical relevanceAn overview of the peer reviewed literature will enable rehabilitation specialists working with amputees to choose a prosthesis that best suits their patients’ expectations on the available scientific evidence. Identifying the information gaps present in the peer reviewed literature will stimulate new research and eventually broaden the base of scientific knowledge.

scholarly journals CONTRACTION OF THE TENSOR FASCIAE LATAE MUSCLE OF THE FASCIA OF THE BROAD THIGH AND FLEXION OF THE KNEE JOINT IN THE RUNNERS

2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 318-322
Author(s):  
Rafał Słoniak ◽  
Tomasz Tittinger ◽  
Damian Szczepański ◽  
Tadeusz Szymon Gaździk ◽  
Małgorzata Kulesa-Mrowiecka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knee Joint ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Mixed Type ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Hip Joints ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Tensor Fasciae Latae

Introduction: The illustration of the ranges of bending the limb during the outflow allowed to divide the study group into two parts. In the majority of respondents, the initial flexion prevailed over the final one. The researchers focused on finding the reasons for the advantage of the final bend over the initial one in 30% of the subjects. The aim: The analysis of the dynamic stride under the control of the MVN Biomech system in the bending of the knee joint of the lateral limb, comparing the preparation to the leg (initial bending) and its ending (final) Materials and Methods: 18 right-handed 25 to 35 year old runners were selected after the following exclusion criteria were applied: polyarticular hypermobility, systemic diseases, Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, post-traumatic instability. The MVN Biomech system assessed the three-dimensional movements of the joints of the free part of the lower limb and pelvis, and the flexibility of the muscles was subject to physiotherapeutic assessment. Results: In 55% of respondents dominated the pattern in which the initial flexion exceeded by min. 10⁰ final bend in both limbs (decreasing type). The researchers focused on finding the reasons for the smaller difference or the advantage of the final bending on both sides in 30% of respondents (mixed type). The comparison of physiotherapeutic examination results and measurements of MVN Biomech showed functional contractures of the tensor fasciae latea muscles in 5 subjects with a mixed type (83% of subjects with a mixed type). Conclusions: Contraction of the tensor fasciae latae constrained the initial flexion of the knee joint of the lateral limb, and also increased bilateral visitation of the hip joints during the dynamic mixed-type twitch. The remaining muscles of the lower limbs show no statistically significant differences in elasticity compared to the type of the leg.

scholarly journals Relationships between movements of the lower limb joints and the pelvis in open and closed kinematic chains during a gait cycle

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zdenek Svoboda ◽  
Miroslav Janura ◽  
Patrik Kutilek ◽  
Eva Janurova
Keyword(s):  
Lower Limb ◽  
Gait Cycle ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Movement Pattern ◽  
Kinematic Chain ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Initial Contact ◽  
3D Analysis ◽  
Kinematic Chains

AbstractLots of athletic skills performed during practice or competition are initiated by the legs, where athletes either walk or run prior to executing specific skills. Kinematic chains are used to describe the relationships between body segments and joints during movement. The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between movements of lower limb segments and the pelvis in open and closed kinematic chains while walking. The experimental group consisted of 32 males (age 23.3 ± 2.5 years, body mass 78.1 ± 8.7 kg, body height 182 ± 6 cm). For 3D analysis, an optoelectronic system Vicon MX (7 cameras, frequency 200 Hz) was used. Positioning of the segments was determined by the PlugInGait Model. Each participant executed five trials at speeds ranging from 1.38 to 1.52 m·s-1. The relationships between angle variables of the lower limbs and the pelvis in selected gait cycle phases were evaluated using STATISTICA software (version 10.0) and the Spearman correlation. The highest numbers of moderate and large correlations were found at opposite toe off, heel rise and initial contact for the sagittal and transversal planes in comparison to the frontal plane. The closed kinematic chain had a stronger impact on determining the movement pattern. The instructions or interventions focusing on closed kinematic chain alternation are more effective for changes in a movement pattern. The preferred limb initiates kinematics in the direction of propulsion, while the non-preferred limb in internal and external rotation.

Prospective analysis of surfing and bodyboard injuries

Trauma ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Dimmick ◽  
Mark Gillett ◽  
Craig Buchan ◽  
Patrick Sheehan ◽  
Michelle Franks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Limb ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Spinal Fractures ◽  
Body Part ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Facial Fractures ◽  
Hospital Emergency ◽  
Hospital Emergency Departments

Objective To assess the differences in the types of injuries sustained by surfboard and bodyboard riders and to identify common mechanisms of injury. Methods Subjects were prospectively recruited to the study on presentation to one of the six hospital emergency departments. Consented subjects completed a questionnaire while in the emergency departments. Data regarding radiological investigations undertaken and their findings were collected retrospectively. Results A total of 224 males and 28 females in the surfing group and 14 males in the bodyboard group were recruited. In surfers, the most common injured body parts were the head/face (115; 45.6%) and lower limb (69; 27.4%). Surfers were most commonly injured by a surfboard, either their own (178; 70.6%) or someone else’s (18; 7.1%). Unfortunately, the small number of subjects recruited to the bodyboard group precluded meaningful comparison with the surfing group. Conclusions The most common body part injured in surfers is the head/face compared with the lower limbs in bodyboard riders. Contact with a surfer’s board (most commonly their own) is the most common cause of injury. Significant spinal fractures/injuries are sustained when the surfer (usually their head) strikes the seafloor. Head and facial fractures occur when the surfer is struck by their own board. Future research into surfboard design which incorporates softer compounds into the deck, rail, and fins is recommended. The need for local authorities and surf lifesavers to disseminate information relating to specific beaches to the general public regarding surf conditions, water depth, and the nature of the seafloor is also essential for injury prevention.

scholarly journals Biomechanical study on the stress distribution of the knee joint after residual rotation deformity of tibial fracture

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Li ◽  
Yanbin Zhu ◽  
Ning Wei ◽  
Wenli Chang ◽  
Zeyue Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Distribution ◽  
Knee Joint ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
External Rotation ◽  
Biomechanical Study ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Neutral Position ◽  
Lateral Stress ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Difference

Abstract Objectives To investigate the effect of residual rotation deformity on the stress distribution of the knee joint after surgery to treat middle and upper tibial fractures. Methods Fourteen adult cadaver specimens that were preserved with formalin were included, and the tibias were randomly positioned at 0 degree, 5 degrees, 10 degrees, and 15 degrees from the line of force of the lower limb. These positions modeled deformities of 5 degrees, 10 degrees, and 15 degrees from the line of force. Low-pressure pressure-sensitive film technology measured the stress distribution of the knee joint under different degrees of rotation deformity. Results Under a vertical load of 400 N, the difference between the medial and lateral stress of the knee joint was significantly different between the different tibia deformities (P<0.05), and the medial stress of the knee joint was higher than the lateral stress. The current study showed that there were statistically significant differences in the medial stress on the knee joint at all angles (including the neutral position of 0 degrees) (F=89.753, P<0.001) . There was a statistically significant difference in the lateral stresses of the knee joint between different rotation deformities (including the neutral position of 0 degrees) (F=102.998, P<0.001). Conclusions Residual rotation deformity after fracture of middle and upper tibia can lead to poor alignment of lower limb force and change of articular contact characteristics of knee joint, especially external rotation of tibia.Therefore, orthopedic surgeons should correct the malalignment of lower limbs to the greatest extent and reduce the rotation deformity as far as possible.

scholarly journals Angle Estimation for Knee Joint Movement Based on PCA-RELM Algorithm

Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanxia Deng ◽  
Farong Gao ◽  
Huihui Chen
Keyword(s):  
Knee Joint ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Joint Angle ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Human Gait ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Joint Movement ◽  
Knee Joint Angle ◽  
Semg Signals

Surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals are easy to record and offer valuable motion information, such as symmetric and periodic motion in human gait. Due to these characteristics, sEMG is widely used in human-computer interaction, clinical diagnosis and rehabilitation medicine, sports medicine and other fields. This paper aims to improve the estimation accuracy and real-time performance, in the case of the knee joint angle in the lower limb, using a sEMG signal, in a proposed estimation algorithm of the continuous motion, based on the principal component analysis (PCA) and the regularized extreme learning machine (RELM). First, the sEMG signals, collected during the lower limb motion, are preprocessed, while feature samples are extracted from the acquired and preconditioned sEMG signals. Next, the feature samples dimensions are reduced by the PCA, as well as the knee joint angle system is measured by the three-dimensional motion capture system, are followed by the normalization of the feature variable value. The normalized sEMG feature is used as the input layer, in the RELM model, while the joint angle is used as the output layer. After training, the RELM model estimates the knee joint angle of the lower limbs, while it uses the root mean square error (RMSE), Pearson correlation coefficient and model training time as key performance indicators (KPIs), to be further discussed. The RELM, the traditional BP neural network and the support vector machine (SVM) estimation results are compared. The conclusions prove that the RELM method, not only has ensured the validity of results, but also has greatly reduced the learning train time. The presented work is a valuable point of reference for further study of the motion estimation in lower limb.

scholarly journals Transfer of Muscle Strength Between Single-Joint and Multi-Joint Exercises for Lower Limbs

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-32
Author(s):  
Tereza Hammerová ◽  
Jan Chlápek ◽  
Tereza Králová ◽  
Tomáš Vodička ◽  
Zuzana Hlavoňová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knee Joint ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Eccentric Contraction ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Leg Extension ◽  
Leg Press ◽  
Concentric Contraction ◽  
The Right

Most strength and conditioning coaches deal with the question in the training plan, how to supplement specific exercises, or which non-specific exercises would be the most suitable for achieving the set purpose. This study aims to assess what strength transfer with a focus on the lower limbs is projected from the selected strength intervention program (the right leg exercises only single-joint exercises: leg extension on machine and leg curl; the left leg exercises only multi-joint exercises: deadlift and leg press) to the force of the knee joint flexors and extensors during the eccentric and the concentric contraction. In one training session, the participants repeated every exercise five times in four series. The load intensity was around 90% of 1RM and was increased by 5% after the first and the fifth week. The rest interval was always three minutes long. For the left lower limb, the highest transfer (0.20) was from the leg press to the knee joint extensor at the eccentric contraction and from the deadlift was the highest transfer (0.19) to the knee joint extensor at the eccentric contraction. For the right lower limb, the highest transfer (0.53) was from the leg extension on a machine to the knee joint flexor at the concentric contraction and from the lying leg curl was the highest transfer (0.47) to the knee joint flexor at the concentric contraction.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document