Yakimovich, Terris2013-11-072013-11-0720052005Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-04, page: 1972.http://hdl.handle.net/10393/27086http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-18528Conventional knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs) or leg braces lock the knee in full extension and therefore do not permit a natural gait pattern. A new electro-mechanical dynamic knee-ankle-foot orthosis (DKAFO) that incorporates a new dynamic knee joint (DKJ) was designed to provide a more natural gait for people with knee extensor muscle weakness. The DKAFO inhibits knee flexion while allowing knee extension during weight bearing. During swing or other non-weight bearing activities, the DKAFO allows free knee motion. A prototype knee joint was mechanically tested to determine the moment at failure, loading behaviour, and device safety. Quantitative kinematic gait analysis of three able-bodied subjects and three KAFO users showed that walking with the DKAFO had a minimal effect on normal gait. The DKAFO offered increased knee motion in swing and a reduction in gait abnormalities for some subjects with disabilities. Future efforts will be made to modify the design to increase the factor of safety, and reduce DKJ dimensions.191 p.enEngineering, Biomedical.Engineering, Mechanical.Thesis