Mechanics and energetics of post-stroke walking aided by a powered ankle exoskeleton with speed-adaptive myoelectric control.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ankle exoskeletons offer a promising opportunity to offset mechanical deficits after stroke by applying the needed torque at the paretic ankle. Because joint torque is related to gait speed, it is important to consider the user's gait speed when determining the magnitude of assistive joint torque. We developed and tested a novel exoskeleton controller for delivering propulsive assistance which modulates exoskeleton torque magnitude based on both soleus muscle activity and walking speed. The purpose of this research is to assess the impact of the resulting exoskeleton assistance on post-stroke walking performance across a range of walking speeds.

Methods

Six participants with stroke walked with and without assistance applied to a powered ankle exoskeleton on the pa

SUBMITTER: McCain EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6521500 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature