Musculo-skeletal modeling and analysis for low-cost active orthosis customization and SCI patient adaptation

Abstract

This paper describes the role played by skeletal and musculo-skeletal modeling and analysis in: (i) the customization of low-cost active knee-ankle-foot orthoses aimed at assisting the gait of spinal-cord-injured subjects possessing some level of hip actuation; (ii) the adaptation process of the patients to the devices. It is shown that personalized multibody-based human models and related methods and techniques are very helpful for motor-gearbox selection and swing motion definition, for monitoring progress during the training sessions, for evaluating the final outcome provided by the assistive devices, and for anticipating their long-term impact on the patient’s health.