title: Change in the Mechanical Energy of the Body Center of Mass in Hemiplegic Gait after Continuous Use of a Plantar Flexion Resistive Ankle-foot Orthosis.
abstract: [Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in mechanical energy due to continuous use of a plantar flexion resistive ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) of subjects with chronic hemiplegia. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 5 hemiplegic patients using AFOs without a plantar flexion resistive function in their daily lives. We analyzed the gait of the subjects using a 3D motion capture system under three conditions: patients' use of their own AFOs; after being fitted with a plantar flexion resistive AFO; and after continuous use of the device. The gait efficiency was determined by calculating the mutual exchange of kinetic and potential energy of the center of mass. [Results] An increased exchange rate of the kinetic and potential energy was found for all subjects. A larger increase of energy exchange was shown on the non-paralyzed side, and after continuous use of the plantar flexion resistive AFO. [Conclusion] We found that continuous use of a plantar flexion resistive AFO increased the rate of mutual exchange between kinetic energy and potential energy. The change in the rate was closely related to the role of the non-paretic side, showing that the subjects needed a certain amount of time to adapt to the plantar flexion resistive AFO.
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Electronics, Graduate School of Hokkaido Institute of Technology, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haruna
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Sapporo Shuuyuukai Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Engineering, Hokkaido Institute of Technology, Japan.
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kon
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Engineering, Hokkaido Institute of Technology, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyasaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Engineering, Hokkaido Institute of Technology, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Engineering, Hokkaido Institute of Technology, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nosaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Engineering, Hokkaido Institute of Technology, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
keywords: Hemiplegic gait; Mechanical energy of the body center of mass; Plantar flexion resistive ankle-foot orthosis