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Ankle Joint

Ankle Joint

The ankle is formed by the talocrural joint (crural = leg). It consists of the articulations between the talus bone of the foot and the distal ends of the tibia and fibula of the leg. The superior aspect of the talus bone is square-shaped and has three areas of articulation. The top of the talus articulates with the inferior tibia. This is the portion of the ankle joint that carries the body weight between the leg and foot. The sides of the talus are firmly held in position by the articulations...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

The Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill for Knee Osteoarthritis Rehabilitation

The Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill for Knee Osteoarthritis Rehabilitation

Published on: July 22, 2019

Task-Agnostic Exoskeleton Torque Assistance Reduces Ankle Osteoarthritis Pain: A Pilot Study.

Katharine Walters, Ernesto Hernandez Hinojosa, Robert D Gregg

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference

|December 3, 2025

Summary

A new lightweight, backdrivable ankle exoskeleton helps individuals with ankle osteoarthritis (OA) by providing torque assistance. This innovative device reduces pain and improves walking ability, offering a non-invasive treatment option.

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Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Orthopedics
Rehabilitation Robotics

Background:

Ankle osteoarthritis (OA) causes pain and mobility issues, particularly during activities requiring plantarflexor torque.
Conventional ankle braces can limit natural movement and lead to compensatory gait.
Existing powered exoskeletons may lack the backdrivability and versatility needed for OA patients' daily activities.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and evaluate a lightweight, backdrivable ankle exoskeleton for individuals with ankle OA.
To assess the device's ability to reduce joint loads and preserve natural mobility.
To investigate the impact of the exoskeleton on pain, gait, and walking function.

Main Methods:

Designed a novel ankle exoskeleton with quasi-direct drive actuators and a task-agnostic control framework.
The system provides continuous, biomimetic torque assistance for plantarflexion and dorsiflexion.
Conducted pilot trials with individuals diagnosed with ankle OA.

Main Results:

The exoskeleton successfully reduced ankle joint pain and peak torque during movement.
Significant improvements were observed in gait symmetry, stride length, and walking speed.
The device demonstrated the ability to assist volitional motion while reducing joint stress.

Conclusions:

Lightweight, backdrivable ankle exoskeletons show promise as an innovative, non-invasive treatment for ankle OA.
This technology can alleviate joint loads and enhance functional mobility in OA patients.
Further research and development could lead to widespread clinical adoption for ankle OA management.