Gait analysis system for spinal cord-injured subjects assisted by active orthoses and crutches

Abstract

The inverse dynamics of human gait from motion capture data is an already mature discipline. The present work addresses the problems that arise when assistive devices such as crutches and active orthoses are added to the analysis. The objective is to provide an analysis tool for the gait of spinal cord-injured subjects, since these patients always require the help of assistive devices to walk. A gait analysis system for subjects walking with the aid of crutches and active knee–ankle–foot orthoses is presented. The assistive devices are introduced both at the experimental and computational levels. The required sensors and actuators are incorporated to the system, and the measurements are used to solve the inverse dynamics problem in order to calculate the joint motor torques produced by the subject during gait. Such analysis can be greatly helpful for comparing the performance of passive and active orthoses, evaluating and improving the controllers in the latter, monitoring the adaptation of the patients to the orthoses and their rehabilitation level, and improving the understanding of the interaction between active orthoses and the muscular system.