Reducing Knee Joint Loads During Stance Phase With a Rigid-Soft Hybrid Exoskeleton

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Robotics
• Orthopedics

Background:

• High mechanical loads during walking can accelerate knee joint wear.
• Current knee exoskeletons primarily use torque assistance, reducing extensor muscle force.
• Further reduction of knee joint load is needed, especially during early and middle stance phases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel gait intervention strategy combining torque and vertical force assistance.
• To reduce knee joint load during the early and middle stance phases of walking.
• To verify the effectiveness of this combined assistance strategy in reducing knee joint load.

Main Methods:

• Developed a gait intervention strategy integrating torque and vertical force assistance.
• Conducted comprehensive experiments to evaluate the strategy's impact on knee joint load.
• Measured and analyzed knee joint forces during walking with the intervention.

Main Results:

• The combined torque and vertical force assistance strategy significantly reduced knee joint load.
• Maximum and mean knee joint forces were notably decreased during early and middle stance.
• The intervention demonstrated effectiveness in mitigating forces acting on the knee joint.

Conclusions:

• The proposed gait intervention strategy shows potential for reducing knee joint load.
• This approach may help mitigate knee wear by addressing multiple force factors.
• Further research could explore long-term effects and applications in knee osteoarthritis management.