Biomechanical Analysis Suggests Myosuit Reduces Knee Extensor Demand during Level and Incline Gait
An FDA-approved soft wearable robot, the Myosuit, which was designed to provide hip and knee extension torque has recently been commercialized. While studies have reported reductions in metabolic costs, increased gait speeds, and improvements in clinical test scores, a comprehensive analysis of elec...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/16/6127 |
| _version_ | 1827617587350994944 |
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| author | Jaewook Kim Yekwang Kim Seonghyun Kang Seung-Jong Kim |
| author_facet | Jaewook Kim Yekwang Kim Seonghyun Kang Seung-Jong Kim |
| author_sort | Jaewook Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An FDA-approved soft wearable robot, the Myosuit, which was designed to provide hip and knee extension torque has recently been commercialized. While studies have reported reductions in metabolic costs, increased gait speeds, and improvements in clinical test scores, a comprehensive analysis of electromyography (EMG) signals and joint kinematics is warranted because the recruitment of appropriate muscle groups during physiological movement patterns facilitates effective motor learning. Here, we compared the lower limb joint kinematics and EMG patterns while wearing the Myosuit with that of unassisted conditions when performing level overground and incline treadmill gait. The level overground gait sessions (seven healthy subjects) were performed at self-selected speeds and the incline treadmill gait sessions (four healthy subjects) were performed at 2, 3, 4, and 5 km/h. In order to evaluate how the user is assisted, we conducted a biomechanical analysis according to the three major gait tasks: weight acceptance (WA), single-limb support, and limb advancement. The results from the gait sessions suggest that Myosuit not only well preserves the users’ natural patterns, but more importantly reduce knee extensor demand during the WA phase for both level and incline gait. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:50:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a7496fbe51fe4a0dac0940d8a5383083 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:50:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-a7496fbe51fe4a0dac0940d8a53830832023-12-02T00:17:04ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202022-08-012216612710.3390/s22166127Biomechanical Analysis Suggests Myosuit Reduces Knee Extensor Demand during Level and Incline GaitJaewook Kim0Yekwang Kim1Seonghyun Kang2Seung-Jong Kim3Department of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, KoreaDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, KoreaDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, KoreaDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, KoreaAn FDA-approved soft wearable robot, the Myosuit, which was designed to provide hip and knee extension torque has recently been commercialized. While studies have reported reductions in metabolic costs, increased gait speeds, and improvements in clinical test scores, a comprehensive analysis of electromyography (EMG) signals and joint kinematics is warranted because the recruitment of appropriate muscle groups during physiological movement patterns facilitates effective motor learning. Here, we compared the lower limb joint kinematics and EMG patterns while wearing the Myosuit with that of unassisted conditions when performing level overground and incline treadmill gait. The level overground gait sessions (seven healthy subjects) were performed at self-selected speeds and the incline treadmill gait sessions (four healthy subjects) were performed at 2, 3, 4, and 5 km/h. In order to evaluate how the user is assisted, we conducted a biomechanical analysis according to the three major gait tasks: weight acceptance (WA), single-limb support, and limb advancement. The results from the gait sessions suggest that Myosuit not only well preserves the users’ natural patterns, but more importantly reduce knee extensor demand during the WA phase for both level and incline gait.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/16/6127gaitbiomechanicselectromyographyjoint kinematicssoft wearable robotrehabilitation |
| spellingShingle | Jaewook Kim Yekwang Kim Seonghyun Kang Seung-Jong Kim Biomechanical Analysis Suggests Myosuit Reduces Knee Extensor Demand during Level and Incline Gait Sensors gait biomechanics electromyography joint kinematics soft wearable robot rehabilitation |
| title | Biomechanical Analysis Suggests Myosuit Reduces Knee Extensor Demand during Level and Incline Gait |
| title_full | Biomechanical Analysis Suggests Myosuit Reduces Knee Extensor Demand during Level and Incline Gait |
| title_fullStr | Biomechanical Analysis Suggests Myosuit Reduces Knee Extensor Demand during Level and Incline Gait |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biomechanical Analysis Suggests Myosuit Reduces Knee Extensor Demand during Level and Incline Gait |
| title_short | Biomechanical Analysis Suggests Myosuit Reduces Knee Extensor Demand during Level and Incline Gait |
| title_sort | biomechanical analysis suggests myosuit reduces knee extensor demand during level and incline gait |
| topic | gait biomechanics electromyography joint kinematics soft wearable robot rehabilitation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/16/6127 |
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