• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2010

Ankle-foot orthosis with a pneumatic rubber actuator, which is intended for the assistance and the enhancement of ankle muscular activities was developed. In this study, the effectiveness of the system was investigated during plantarflexion motion of ankle joint. To find a effectiveness of the system, the subjects performed maximal voluntary isokinetic plantarflexion contraction on a Biodex-dynamometer. Plantarfexion torque of the ankle joint is assisted by subject's soleus muscle that is generated when ankle joint do plantarflexion motion. We used the muscular stiffness signal of a soleus muscle for feedback control of ankle-foot orthosis as physiological signal. For measurement of this signal, we made the muscular stiffness force sensor. We compared a muscular stiffness force of a soleus muscle between with feedback control and without it and a maximal plantarflexion torque between not wearing a ankle-foot orthosis, without feedback control wearing it and with feedback control wearing it in each ten elderly adults. The experimental result showed that a muscular stiffness force of a soleus muscle with feedback control was reduced and plantarflexion torque of an ankle joint only wearing ankle-foot orthosis was reduced but a plantarflexion torque with feedback control was increased. The amount of a increasing with feedback control is more higher than the amount of a decreasing only wearing it. Therefore, we confirmed the effectiveness of the developed ankle-foot orthosis with feedback control.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.161-175
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of HPAFO(Hinged Plastic Ankle Foot orthosis) and SPAFO(Solid Plastic Ankle Foot Orthosis) on standing balance and step moving in hemiplegia patients. Twenty hemiplegic patients were either inpatient or outpatient at the Rehabilitation medicine, MokPo J General Hospital and JeonJu J Medical Center from July 15, 2002 to September 15, 2002. Patients were able to ambulate independently for at least 10 meters and to stand independently for at least 10 minutes with balance measurement tool. The static balance and dynamic activity measurement was determined by SAKAI active balancer(Japan) with wearing HPAFO and wearing SPAFO. The static balance and dynamic activity analysis was analyzed by independent t-test. The results were as follows: 1. There were no significant difference in body weight bearing percent between wearing HPAFO and wearing SPAFO(p>0.05). 2. There were significant difference in whole path length between wearing HPAFO and wearing SPAFO(p<0.05). 3. There were significant difference in Effective Value Area between wearing HPAFO and wearing SPAFO(p>0.001). 4. There were significant difference in repeated functional time between wearing HPAFO and wearing SPAFO(p>0.001). 5. There were significant difference in cadence between wearing HPAFO and wearing SPAFO(p>0.001). The result of this study showed that wearing HPAFO and wearing SPAFO gave fair amount of improvement to static standing balance and dynamic movement ability of hemiplegic patients. The comparison result showed significant differences in between HPAFO and SPAHFO. The result of this study had a general limitation due to the restricted number of cases. The future study needs more detailed research and comparison with various variance between these two orthoses.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.35-44
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• 2020

Background: This study was to confirm the effect and feasibility of knee extension assist orthosis (KEAO) on balance and gait in subacute stroke patients. Design: Case study. Methods: The subjects of the study were 4 subacute stroke patients, who had an onset period of less than 6 months. The limit of stability (LOS) and berg balance scale (BBS), timed up and go test (TUG) were used to verify the dynamic balance ability, static balance ability, and gait ability pre and post and after wearing the knee extension assist orthosis (KEAO). In addition, the satisfaction survey was to confirm the feasibility of the knee extension assist orthosis (KEAO) through the to Korean quebec user evaluation of satisfaction assistive technology 2.0 (K-QUEST 2.0). Results: After the wearing on KEAO, the distance for the limit of stability decreased by mean 541.25±240.46 mm2, and the score on the berg balance scale improved by mean 5±2.71 point, and the time for the timed up and go test deceased by mean 3.75±1.71 second. The stability and durability were found to be full score, and the control, ease, effectiveness were some high score, and the size, weight, comfort were some low score in the satisfaction and feasibility. Conclusion: The knee extension assist orthosis (KEAO) produce in this study was improved the static balance ability, dynamic balance ability and gait ability of subacute stroke patients, and the satisfaction and feasibility were high in the stability, durability and effectiveness of the user.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.145-154
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• 2023

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of the sling exercise wearing a neck orthosis on the craniovertebral angle, muscle tension, and headaches in adults with a forward head posture and tension headache. METHODS: In this single-blinded, randomized, controlled, comparative study, a total of 22 adults with forward head postures and tension headaches were randomly assigned to the experimental group (sling exercise wearing a neck orthosis, n = 11) or the control group (sling exercise without a neck orthosis, n = 11). All participants undertook the sling exercise program (3×/week for 4 weeks). The craniovertebral angle, muscle tension, and headache were measured before and after the 4-week training. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in the craniovertebral angle, muscle tension, and headache in the experimental group (p < .05). This group also showed a larger decrease in the muscle tension and headache (upper trapezius, -4.97 Hz vs -1.70 Hz, p < .05; splenius capitis, -5.44 Hz vs -2.54 Hz, p < .05; headache, -19.73 score vs -14.64 score, p < .05, respectively). CONCLUSION: The sling exercise wearing a neck orthosis could be an effective way to relieve the symptoms caused by a forward head posture. It could also be a more effective way of decreasing muscle tension and headaches than the sling exercise without wearing a neck orthosis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.121-123
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• 2002

The design of an air seat cushion for preventing decubitus ulcer includes many design factors such as the even distribution of interface pressure, the minimization of mean and peak interface pressure values, and the reduction of interface shear force and pressure gradient. It involves the anatomic condition of plegia's buttock as well as air pressure in air cells of cushion. As a result, a suitable design of the cushion satisfying the all requirements is a difficult problem. Therefore, an appropriate and effective numerical tool to develop an air cushion orthosis is required. The purpose of the present study was to develop an air seat cushion orthosis having optimized air cells for evenly distributed interface pressure between the buttock and cushion surface. For the purpose, an advanced finite element (FE) model for the design of air cushion was developed. Since the interface pressure and shear force behavior, as well as stress analyses were primary concern, a FE air cell model was developed and verified by the experiments. Then, the interactions of two cells were checked. Also, the human part of the developed numerical model includes every material property and geometry related to buttock and femoral parts. For construction of dimension data of buttock and femoral parts, CT scans were performed. A commercial FE program was employed for the simulation representing the seating process on the orthosis. Then, sensitive analyses were performed with varying design parameters. A set of optimal design parameters was found satisfying the design criteria of the orthosis. The results were utilized to produce a prototype of the orthosis. Experimentally, the buttock interface pressure distributions from the optimized and previous ones were compared. The new seat orthosis showed a significantly improved interface pressure characteristics compared to the most popular one in the market. The new orthosis will be used for the development of the AI(artificial intelligent) controlled seat orthosis fur prevention of decubitus ulcer fur various plegic patients and the elderly.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.104-110
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• 2008

The aim of this study ultimately is verifying that PGO gait is more efficient than RGO fur paraplegics because the air muscle assists hip flexion power in heel off movement. The gait characteristics of the paraplegic wearing the PGO or RGO are compared with that of a normal person. PGO with air muscles was used to analyze the walking of patients with lower-limb paralysis, and the results showed that the hip joint flexion and pelvic tilt angle decreased in PGO. In comparison to RGO gait, which is propelled by the movements of the back, PGO uses air muscles, which decreases the movement in the upper limb from a stance phase rate of 79$\pm$4%(RGO) to 68$\pm$8%. The energy consumption rate was 8.65$\pm$3.3 (ml/min/Kg) for RGO, while it decreased to 7.21t2.5(ml/min/Kg) for PGO. The results from this study show that PGO decreases energy consumption while providing support for patients with lower-limb paralysis, and it is helpful in walking for extended times.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.1500-1503
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• 2003

One of the main goals in the rehabilitation of SCI patients is to enable the patient to stand and walk themselves. We are developing high-thrust powered gait orthosis(PGO) that use air muscle actuator(shadow robot Co., UK) to be assisted gait and rehabilitation purposes of them. We made of PD controller and measured hip joint angle by its load and the pressure to control air muscle of PGO. As a results, maximum flexion angle of hip joint is $20^{\circ}$, and angular velocity is 30.4${\pm}2.5^{\circ}/sec$, and then delay time of system was average 0.62${\pm}$0.03s. As the hip flexion angle and the pelvic angle is decreased during the gait with PGO, the patient can walk faster. By using the PGO, the energy consumption can also be decreased. therefore, the proposed PGO can be a very useful assitive device for the paraplegics to walk.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.2444-2447
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to analyze the gait motion of the aged with a lower limbs orthosis. The gait motion was analyzed with and without lower limbs orthosis using APAS 3D Motion Analysis System. The pattern of lower limbs motion was tracked based on four targets attached to the body of the subject. The targets were positioned at hip, knee, ankle, and foot. The parameters measured were the displacement, the velocity, and the acceleration of the four targets. The improvement in the measured values on the displacement and the velocity of the four targets were small with the orthosis due to inconvenience of wearing it, but the increase in the acceleration was large due to the elastic force of the rubber actuator. Especially, the increase of the acceleration of foot with lower limbs orthosis seems to help the gait motion of the elderly.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.124-127
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• 2015

Purpose: The emphasis on gait rehabilitation after stroke depends on training support through the lower limbs, balance of body mass over the changing base of support. However, muscle weakness, lack of control of lower limb, and poor balance can interfere with training after stroke. For this case study report, a wearable robot orthosis was applied to stroke patients in order to verify its actual applicability on balance and gait ability in the clinical field. Methods: Two stroke patients participated in the training using the wearable robot orthosis. Wearable robot orthosis provides patient-initiated active assistance contraction during training. Training includes weight shift training, standing up and sitting down, ground walking, and stair up and down Training was applied a total of 20 times, five times a week for 4 weeks, for 30 minutes a day. Gait ability was determined by Stance phase symmetry profile, Swing phase symmetry profile, and velocity using the GAITRite system. Balance ability was measured using the Biodex balance system. Results: Subjects 1, 2 showed improved gait and balance ability with mean individual improvement of 72.4% for velocity, 19.4% for stance phase symmetry profile, 9.6% for swing phase symmetry profile, and 13.6% for balance ability. Conclusion: Training utilizing a wearable robot orthosis can be useful for improvement of the gait and balance ability of stroke patients.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.309-318
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• 2011

Objectives : To evaluate the effect of foot orthotic in patient with chronic pain and pelvic obliquity in standing. Methods : Four cases of functional spinal scoliosis, were investigated for the changes in the calcaneal stance position angle, pelvic height, pelvic angle, Cobb's angle and walking pattern. Standing full spine X-ray for measuring the pelvic height, pelvic angle, Cobb's angle were checked before and after application of foot orthosis. The foot orthosis was composed of polyprophylen and chamude cover. Results : 1. There was no change in resting calcaneal stance position. 2. Difference of pelvic height and pelvic angle was reduced after application of a foot orthosis. 3. Cobb's angle in 2 cases was reduced after application of a foot orthosis. 4. Walking balance was improved. 5. Visual analogue scale was decreased. Conclusions : The study showed that foot orthosis seemed to be effective for chronic pain, spinal curve, pelvic obliquity and walking balance.