A novel mechanotronic orthosis enables symmetrical gait kinematics in a patient with a femoral nerve palsy - a case study.

The usage of stance- and swing-phase control orthoses (SSCOs) is a good option in patients with neuromuscular insufficiency of the quadriceps muscle in a broad range of musculo-skeletal disorders. The subjective sensation of improved mobility in daily life and walking comfort could be objectively confirmed by the ability to walk without crutches and by harmonization of the gait patterns in hip and knee. They could also be a considered mobility device after limb salvage surgery, which may even have an impact on preoperative decision making. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Symmetric gate in spite of femoral nerve palsy. Early gate improvements even after hours. High patient?s motivation to use the device.

Assessment criteria for evaluating the stability and position of the centre of gravity on a balance training platform: a simulation with Matlab®.

The anterior-posterior and medial-lateral tipping values of a training platform within the scope of a balance training activity should be evaluated in regard to position and the changing position of the centre of gravity (COG). Data streams are simulated and modulated with the help of the signal processing programme Matlab®. These data streams are evaluated using existing balance formulas and a specially developed formula. Active Balance Index referring to the zero point (ABI(0)) allows an assertion about the magnitude of the mean tipping angle with the magnitude origin in the centre of the training platform. Active Balance Index referring to the arithmetical mean COG (ABI(mean)) enables an assertion about the mean tipping angle with the magnitude origin in the COG mean position. The deviation of the mean COG from absolute balance which is projected onto the platform is calculated by the Active Balance Ratio (ABR). The Active Balance Index (ABI) in combination with the ABR seems to be an adequate parameter for the evaluation of COG stability on a training platform.

Design and development of an automatic data acquisition system for a balance study using a smartcard system.

For measurement value logging of board angle values during balance training, it is necessary to develop a measurement system. This study will provide data for a balance study using the smartcard. The data acquisition comes automatically. An individually training plan for each proband is necessary. To store the proband identification a smartcard with an I2C data bus protocol and an E2PROM memory system is used. For reading the smartcard data a smartcard reader is connected via universal serial bus (USB) to a notebook. The data acquisition and smartcard read programme is designed with Microsoft® Visual C#. A training plan file contains the individual training plan for each proband. The data of the test persons are saved in a proband directory. Each event is automatically saved as a log-file for the exact documentation. This system makes study development easy and time-saving.