Effects of a powered ankle prosthesis on shock absorption and residual limb/socket interface pressure
Name
823865032-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
10 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
a164a62e7cbe8062f8a4095f7379fb4a
Author(s)
Hill, David Allen, Ph. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Advisor(s)
Hugh Herr.
Date Issued
2012
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Lower-extremity amputees face potentially serious post-operative complications, including increased risk of further amputations, excessive stress on both limbs, and discomfort at the stump/socket interface. State of the art; passive prostheses have improved many negative consequences associated with lower-limb loss, but we believe the limit of uninformed elastic prostheses has been reached. Further strides require a more biomimetic approach. Through integration of "smart" technology (sensors and actuators), a new phase of bionic lower-limb prostheses is upon us, which enables prosthetic devices to more closely mimic biological behavior by generating human-like responses and power outputs. The closer we come to natural biology, gait abnormalities in amputees will decline. This project compares the first bionic ankle prosthesis to commonly used passive prostheses to determine how more biomimetic adaptability and work generation in the prosthetic joint affects discomfort and joint stress. We have put forth several metrics to describe discomfort (elements of shock absorption, pressure distribution, etc.) and will conduct level-ground walking tests with three unilateral amputee subjects using both passive and power devices. We hope to make a case for the pursuit of more biomimetic designs for rehabilitative devices, by showing a positive effect on "comfort" and a restoration of normal gait dynamics when using a bionic ankle prosthesis.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2012.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-86).
Subjects
Architecture. Program in Media Arts and Sciences.
MIT Department
Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
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