Shavkat Kuchimov

Effects of unilateral backpack carriage on biomechanics of gait in adolescents: a kinematic analysis

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to analyze the biomechanical alterations during unilateral backpack carriage in adolescents and to compare the kinematic parameters of the loaded and unloaded sides. METHODS Twenty adolescents (mean age: 13 ± 1.2 years) were assessed during walking with no backpack and with a backpack on one shoulder. The kinematic parameters of a gait at a self-selected speed were analyzed using motion analysis. Specific kinematic peak points were compared between asymmetric walking; unloaded, loaded side and mean of unloaded walking. RESULTS Peak ankle dorsal flexion, mean knee varum angle, peak value of hip extension and range of pelvic rotation decreased; and knee flexion at initial contact, hip adduction angle, mean pelvic anterior tilt and mean pelvic obliquity increased on the loaded side relative to the unloaded side and unloaded walking. Decreased maximum hip extension during late stance, increased hip adduction, elevated pelvis and increased anterior pelvic tilt were seen on the loaded side and the pelvis was lowered, ankle dorsal flexion increased and the hip was abducted on the unloaded side as a counter effect. CONCLUSION Both the unloaded and loaded sides were affected by asymmetrical backpack carriage. The biomechanical alterations seen in asymmetrical backpack carriage may put some extra load on the lumbar vertebral joints and altered frontal knee biomechanics contribute to low back pain and pathologies in the knee joint.

Discrimination of abnormal gait parameters due to increased femoral anteversion from other effects in cerebral palsy

The effects of increased femoral anteversion (IFA) on gait pattern have a complex relationship with other orthopaedic and neurological abnormalities of cerebral palsy (CP). The aim of this study was to differentiate the effects of IFA from other factors in CP. The four groups in this study included: 15 typically developing children (Group: TDC) (age: 9.7 ± 0.5); 14 TDC with IFA (7.5 ± 1.7) (Group: TDC-IFA); 8 CP participants with IFA (age: 6.3 ± 1.7) (Group: CP IFA); and 10 CP participants with nearly normal femoral anteversion (age: 10.3 ± 4.7) (Group: CP-NFA). Altered peak knee-extension angle and stance-time, increased internal hip-rotation, internal foot-progression (p≤0.05) were influenced by IFA in both groups of CP-NFA and TDC-IFA. For the TDC groups; pelvic-rotation increased and peak knee and hip-extension, knee flexion-moment, peak knee-power generation in late-stance decreased among children with IFA (p≤0.05). For CP children; anterior pelvic-tilt, hip-flexion and peak knee-extension, hip power-absorbsion and generation, and peak knee power-absorsion (K3) increased and peak knee-flexion was delayed by IFA (p≤0.05). Therefore, IFA effects are different in CP and TDC. Peak knee-extension angle increased in TDC and decreased in CP with IFA. Besides the well known gait parameters related to IFA which are increased internal hip-rotation and foot-progression angle, it is recognised that peak knee-extension and stance-time are also influenced. Therefore, before muscle lengthening, femoral derotational osteotomy should be considered in the early stages of growth in CP to improve pelvic stability and the knee extensor mechanism.

24 DOF EMG controlled hybrid actuated prosthetic hand

A complete mechanical design concept of an electromyogram (EMG) controlled hybrid prosthetic hand, with 24 degree of freedom (DOF) anthropomorphic structure is presented. Brushless DC motors along with Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators are used to achieve dexterous functionality. An 8 channel EMG is used for detecting 7 basic hand gestures for control purposes. The prosthetic hand will be integrated with the Neural Network (NNE) based controller in the next phase of the study.

SMA actuated prosthetic finger design

The proposed work will cover a mechanical design that imitates natural shape and posture of anatomic finger and design of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators that mimics natural functions of a finger. The best mechanical finger design lies in imitating the complex structure (anatomy) of the human finger with all its bones, joints, muscles, tendons and their connections as close as possible. At this point shape memory alloys are good potential with its muscle like working principles, SMA actuators are placed on phalanges to provide finger movements.

Weakening iliopsoas muscle in healthy adults may induce stiff knee pattern

Objective The goal of the present study was to investigate the relationship between iliopsoas muscle group weakness and related hip joint velocity reduction and stiff-knee gait (SKG) during walking in healthy individuals. Methods A load of 5% of each individuals body weight was placed on non-dominant thigh of 15 neurologically intact, able-bodied participants (average age: 22.4 ± 0.81 years). For 33 min (135 s × 13 repetitions × 5 s rest), a passive stretch (PS) was applied with the load in place until hip flexor muscle strength dropped from 5/5 to 3+/5 according to manual muscle test. All participants underwent gait analysis before and after PS to compare sagittal plane hip, knee, and ankle kinematics and kinetics and temporo–spatial parameters. Paired t-test was used to compare pre- and post-stretch findings and Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was calculated to determine strength of correlation between SKG parameters and gait parameters of interest (p < 0.05). Results Reduced hip flexion velocity (mean: 21.5%; p = 0.005) was a contributor to SKG, decreasing peak knee flexion (PKF) (−20%; p = 0.0008), total knee range (−18.9%; p = 0.003), and range of knee flexion between toe-off and PKF (−26.7%; p = 0.001), and shortening duration between toe-off to PKF (−16.3%; p = 0.0005). Conclusion These findings verify that any treatment protocol that slows hip flexion during gait by weakening iliopsoas muscle may have great potential to produce SKG pattern combined with reduced gait velocity.

P 059 – The influence of hypermobility on children with increased femoral anteversion: Static and dynamic foot pressure behavior

a Istanbul Kultur University – Faculy of Health Science, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department, Istanbul, Turkey b Biruni University – Faculty of Health Sciences, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department, Istanbul, Turkey c Bezmialem University, Institute of Health Science, Istanbul, Turkey d Istanbul University, Faculty of Health Science Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Division, Istanbul, Turkey e Istanbul University, Institute of Health Science, Istanbul, Turkey f Istanbul Medeniyet University – Faculy of Health Science, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Division, Istanbul, Turkey g Bogazici University, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Istanbul, Turkey h Istanbul University – Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Orthopedics and Traumatology, Istanbul, Turkey MEDAmerikan Medical Center, Orthopedics, Istanbul, Turkey Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Ortopedics, DE, USA

Finger design for anthropomorphic prosthetic hands

The prototype of a human hand can be has anthropomorphic features when considering the complex structure (anatomy) of the human hand with all its joints, muscles, tendons and their connection. In this study as a starting point an anthropomorphic approach is proposed for the mechanical design of the index finger. For this purpose the mechanical structures of the index finger are reproduced in both real and virtual environments. The results for the simulation and prototype are then compared with each other and the human index finger.