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A Custom-Made Lower Limb Dynamometer for Assessing Ankle Joint Torque in Humans: Calibration and Measurement
Iulia Iovanca Drăgoi1, Florina Georgeta Popescu2, Teodor Petrița3
1Department of Vascular Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery, "Victor Babeș" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041 Timisoara, Romania.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 11, 2022
Summary
A custom-made, portable electronic dynamometer reliably measures ankle torque with high accuracy. This cost-effective device offers objective analysis of human muscle strength, validated through rigorous calibration and measurement protocols.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Human Physiology
- Medical Instrumentation
Background:
- Objective analysis of human muscle strength is crucial for clinical and research applications.
- Existing dynamometry solutions may lack portability, incur high costs, or offer limited accuracy.
- Ankle joint strength assessment requires specialized, reliable measurement tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the calibration and measurement procedures for a portable, custom-built electronic dynamometer.
- To establish the reliability and accuracy of this custom dynamometer for measuring ankle torque.
- To present a validated method for capturing ankle torque in human subjects.
Main Methods:
- Developed a custom-built electronic dynamometer with a focus on portability and cost-effectiveness.
- Implemented a rigorous calibration protocol, including load cell offset voltage analysis and linear regression for torque-voltage proportionality.
- Designed a measurement procedure involving maximum voluntary isometric contractions and digital data processing.
- Enrolled four healthy participants to test the device's reliability in measuring ankle torque during plantar flexion/dorsiflexion.
Main Results:
- The calibration procedure successfully determined the pivotal axis and pedal constant.
- Digital data collection and processing facilitated efficient analysis of contraction time graphs.
- Interclass correlation analysis confirmed the portable apparatus demonstrated reliable ankle torque measurement.
- The custom-made dynamometer achieved accuracy through a meticulous calibration and measurement protocol.
Conclusions:
- The custom-made portable electronic dynamometer provides an accurate and reliable method for assessing ankle joint muscle strength.
- The developed calibration and measurement protocols ensure the validity of the captured ankle torque data.
- This cost-effective device presents a viable tool for objective human muscle strength analysis in various settings.
