A Simulation-Based Framework for Informing Design of Prosthetic Feet

摘要: Individuals with lower limb amputation face a variety of conditions associated with decreased quality of life, including elevated metabolic cost during ambulation, gait asymmetry, and a variety of psychological disorders. Sustained prosthesis use may also induce overloading of joints, leading to orthopedic injuries. These issues may be attenuated by improving user specificity in the design characteristics of foot prostheses. However, the effects of varied design parameters (eg stiffness) are not well characterized, and thus achieving meaningful improvements in gait mechanics has proven elusive. In order to achieve improvements, a robust understanding of the relationship between anthropometry, gait mechanics, and prosthesis design is necessary.