A four-bar knee joint measurement walking system for prosthesis design

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Prosthetics Engineering
• Robotics

Background:

• Gait analysis is crucial for lower limb prosthesis design.
• Simulating natural knee motion across diverse terrains aids prosthetic knee assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a four-bar knee joint measurement system for simulating natural knee motion.
• To precisely collect kinetic parameters and analyze walking characteristics on different terrains.

Main Methods:

• A cost-effective four-bar knee joint mechanism was developed.
• Gait characteristics were evaluated on level ground, stairs (ascending/descending), and ramps (ascending/descending).

Main Results:

• Initial knee flexion at heel strike was greater during stair ascent.
• Stance phase duration was 53% during stair descent, slightly less than other scenarios.
• Double support phase on ramps was 18% during descent; forefoot ground reaction forces varied with terrain.

Conclusions:

• The four-bar knee joint accurately replicates natural human knee motion.
• The developed exoskeleton is suitable for human knee joint simulation across varied walking conditions.