title: On the mechanics of the knee during the stance phase of the gait.
abstract: In this paper, we explore the mechanical behavior of the knee during the weight acceptance stage of stance during normal walking. We show that the torque/angle behavior of the knee during this stage can be approximated by a linear torsional spring. The mechanical parameters completely specifying this spring are identified, including stiffness, amount of rotation, and angle of engagement, and the effect of gait speed and body/load mass on those parameters are discussed. We discuss how the findings of this paper can be applied to the design of leg orthoses, prostheses and exoskeletons, and bipedal robots in general, allowing the implementation of human-like leg compliance during stance with a relatively simple latched-spring mechanism.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. kamran.shamaei@yale.edu
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shamaei
authors.forename: Aaron M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Dollar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009989:Orthotic Devices; D055815:Young Adult