Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Julio S. Lora-Millan, Mahdi Nabipour, Edwin van Asseldonk, Cristina Bayon
Summary: Assistive ankle-foot orthoses (AAFOs) are powerful solutions for gait assistance or rehabilitation. This research analyzes the latest AAFO technologies and categorizes the different approaches into clusters based on their basis and working principles. It also reviews the purpose and experimental validation of the devices, providing insights into their technology readiness level. The reviewed designs, limitations, and future directions in this field are summarized and discussed.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Sumiko Yamamoto, Naoyuki Motojima, Yosuke Kobayashi, Yuji Osada, Souji Tanaka, Aliyeh Daryabor
Summary: This study compared the effects of using an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) with plantarflexion stiffness but without dorsiflexion resistance (AFO-OD) and a nonarticulated AFO on gait improvement in stroke patients. The results showed that the AFO-OD group exhibited greater improvement in ankle joint kinematics and kinetics compared to the nonarticulated AFO group. However, the results of peak power absorption varied greatly among patients.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Pedro Fonseca, Leandro Machado, Manoela Vieira Sousa, Ricardo Sebastiao, Filipa Sousa, Joana Figueiredo, Cristina P. Santos, Joao Paulo Vilas-Boas
Summary: The study found that using an ankle foot orthosis in passive mode at a constant speed does not significantly affect minimum foot clearance, but can alter gait linear and angular parameters.
Article
Neurosciences
Yusuke Sekiguchi, Keita Honda, Dai Owaki, Shin-Ichi Izumi
Summary: Categorization based on quasi-joint stiffness (QJS) can help clinicians select appropriate ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) for patients after stroke. The study classified gait patterns based on ankle joint stiffness into three subgroups, with significant differences in the proportion of AFO, articulated AFO, and non-articulated AFO used among the subgroups.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Hua Ling, Hui Guo, Hao Zhou, Xiao-Qian Chang, Zi-Yang Guo, Sumiko Yamamoto, Li-Fei Cai, Jun Zhao
Summary: This study investigated the effects of different types of ankle foot orthosis (AFO) on pelvic and thoracic movements in stroke patients during gait. The results showed that the use of AFO-OD improved pelvic and lower limb movements and had better gait performance compared to RAFO. However, the use of AFO resulted in in-phase rotation of the thoracic, indicating insufficient trunk control and dissociation movement. These findings have important implications for gait rehabilitation in stroke patients.
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING ONLINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jong-Bae Choi, Sang-Hoon Lee, Ji-Su Park
Summary: This study compared the effects of ankle foot orthosis (AFO) and kinesiology taping (KT) on gait ability in stroke patients with foot drop. The results showed that KT and AFO had similar effects on gait function, suggesting that KT could be an alternative treatment for patients who cannot use AFO.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Antonio Rodriguez-Fernandez, Joan Lobo-Prat, Rafael Tarrago, Diego Chaverri, Xavier Iglesias, Lluis Guirao-Cano, Josep M. Font-Llagunes
Summary: This study compared the effectiveness of a knee-powered lower limb exoskeleton against conventional knee-ankle-foot orthoses in individuals with spinal cord injury. The knee-powered exoskeleton showed improvement in gait kinematics but did not significantly enhance walking performance or reduce energy consumption in comparison to passive orthoses.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Naohide Tsujimoto, Hiroaki Abe, Toru Okanuka, Takashi Seki, Miki Fujimura
Summary: This study investigated predictors indicating the continuous need for a knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) at 1 month after stroke onset. Multiple factors were found to be associated with the continuous need for a KAFO, with active range of motion of knee extension on the affected side being the most accurate predictor.
JOURNAL OF STROKE & CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES
(2023)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Yoo Jin Choo, Min Cheol Chang
Summary: Ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) is crucial for patients with foot drop, helping prevent dragging and maintain stability. Commonly used types include plastic AFO and walking boot, with new types like AF Servo and 3D printed AFO also emerging.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Oguzhan Kirtas, Yagiz Savas, Melih Bayraker, Faik Baskaya, Halil Basturk, Evren Samur
Summary: An active ankle-foot orthosis prototype is developed with an adaptive backstepping control algorithm to track desired gait trajectories and reduce unknown disturbances. The prototype consists of a series elastic actuator, a lever mechanism, and an orthotic shoe, and is mathematically modeled as a two-degree-of-freedom mass-spring system. The proposed control algorithm is implemented in a real-time operating system, demonstrating superior trajectory tracking performance over a PID controller in numerical simulations and physical experiments.
CONTROL ENGINEERING PRACTICE
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Imran Mahmood, Anam Raza, Hafiz Farhan Maqbool, Abbas A. Dehghani-Sanij
Summary: This study evaluates the effect of wearable ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) on balance control during ramp walking. The results show that wearing AFO decreases stability, but stability can be improved by adjusting AFO. The neuromotor outputs indicate compensatory interaction between limbs and larger stability margins compared to output margins.
MEDICAL & BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING & COMPUTING
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Laure Everaert, Eirini Papageorgiou, Anja Van Campenhout, Luc Labey, Kaat Desloovere
Summary: The prevalence and specific features of AFOs in children with CP were examined, and it was found that rigid AFOs were most commonly prescribed. AFOs were found to improve gait, particularly for specific gait patterns such as crouch and apparent equinus.
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Bohyun Lee, Ji Su Park, Shinsuk Park, Choong Hyun Kim
Summary: Gait disorders can significantly impact a patient's quality of life, especially when it comes to drop foot. This study proposes the use of a soft actuator made from shape memory alloy to reduce the weight of an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) used in treating drop foot. The results showed improved ankle angle range and reduced power consumption, making the proposed SMA-AFO a potential treatment option for patients with drop foot.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRECISION ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Grace Marconi, Alpha Agape Gopalai, Sunita Chauhan
Summary: This simulation study investigated the effects of mass and mass distribution of powered ankle-foot orthoses on net joint moments and individual muscle forces in the lower limb. Ten subjects' gait cycles were analyzed using OpenSim tools. It was found that distributing the mass of the orthosis more distally and posteriorly on the leg negatively impacted net joint moments and overall lower limb muscle forces. However, individual muscle forces showed varying results due to factors such as the flow-on effect of the orthosis, antagonistic muscle pairing, and interplay between individual muscles. The optimization of mass and mass distribution of powered ankle-foot orthoses can better mimic natural kinetics, reducing net joint moments and overall muscle forces, while considering individual muscles to prevent muscle fatigue or disuse.
MEDICAL & BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING & COMPUTING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Cristina Bayon, Marleen van Hoorn, Antonio Barrientos, Eduardo Rocon, Joyce P. Trost, Edwin H. F. van Asseldonk
Summary: This study explores the limitations of current ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) used for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and aims to find new design solutions for personalized AFOs. Stakeholders' perspectives on AFO technology were collected through online surveys, revealing differences in the importance of design features between professionals and end-users. The study highlights the significance of assessing and treating CP gait in daily-life situations.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
F. S. Tabatabaei, A. A. Sarabi, E. Kowsari, H. Eivaz Mohammadloo
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS ENGINEERING AND PERFORMANCE
(2015)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Farhad Azimifar, Kamran Hassani, Amir Hossein Saveh, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe
PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS PART H-JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE
(2017)
Article
Orthopedics
Nader Fallahian, Hassan Saeedi, Hamidreza Mokhtarinia, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe
PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS INTERNATIONAL
(2017)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Farhad Azimifar, Kamran Hassani, Amir Hossein Saveh, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe
TRANSACTIONS OF THE INSTITUTE OF MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL
(2018)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Zahra Safaeepour, Ali Esteki, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe, Noor Azuan Abu Osman
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING ONLINE
(2014)
Article
Orthopedics
Mokhtar Arazpour, Hamid Reza Tajik, Gholamreza Aminian, Monireh Ahmadi Bani, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe, Stephen W. Hutchins
PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS INTERNATIONAL
(2013)
Article
Orthopedics
Mokhtar Arazpour, Monireh Ahmadi Bani, Maryam Maleki, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe, Reza Vahab Kashani, Stephen W. Hutchins
PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS INTERNATIONAL
(2013)
Article
Orthopedics
Mokhtar Arazpour, Monireh Ahmadi Bani, Reza Vahab Kashani, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe, Mohammad Ebrahim Mousavi, Stephen William Hutchins
PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS INTERNATIONAL
(2013)
Article
Orthopedics
Mokhtar Arazpour, Fardin Ahmadi, Monireh Ahmadi Bani, Stephen William Hutchins, Mahmood Bahramizadeh, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe, Reza Vahab Kashani
PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS INTERNATIONAL
(2014)
Article
Orthopedics
Hassan Saeedi, Mohammad E. Mousavi, Basir Majddoleslam, Mehdi Rahgozar, Gholamreza Aminian, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe, Mohsen Movahedi Yeganeh
PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS INTERNATIONAL
(2014)
Article
Orthopedics
Zahra Safaeepour, Ali Esteki, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe, Mohammad E. Mousavai
PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS INTERNATIONAL
(2014)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Hamidreza Barnamehei, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomsheh, Afsaneh Safar Cherati, Majid Pouladian
APPLIED BIONICS AND BIOMECHANICS
(2018)
Article
Biophysics
Iman Vahdat, Mohamad Parnianpour, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomsheh, Nima Toosizadeh, Ali Tanbakoosaz
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of a bottom-up solution for calculating joint kinetics in three-dimensional inverse dynamics analysis. The findings showed that the accuracy of this solution was high for lower body joint moments, but lower for joints further from the force plate (hip and L5-S1).
JOURNAL OF MECHANICS IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ergonomics
Mansour Ziaei, Hamidreza Mokhtarinia, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe, Maryam Maghsoudipour
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND ERGONOMICS
(2019)
Article
Rehabilitation
Mokhtar Arazpour, Monireh Ahmadi Bani, Ahmad Chitsazan, Farhad Tabatabai Ghomshe, Reza Vahab Kashani, Stephen William Hutchins
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION-ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
(2013)