Clinical application of the modified medially mounted motor-driven hip gear joint for paraplegics

Purpose: This paper describes a motor-driven orthosis for paraplegics which has been developed. This orthosis is composed of a medially-mounted motor- driven hip joint and bilateral knee-ankle-foot orthosis. With the gear mech anism, the virtual axis of the hip joint of this orthosis is almost as high as the anatomical hip joint. Method: A paraplegic patient with an injury level of T10/11 walked using bi lateral lofstrand crutches and this new orthosis with or without the motor system. The motor is initiated by pushing a button attached at the edge of the grab of the crutches. Result: Faster cadence and speed and smaller rotation angle of the trunk wa s obtained in motor walking compared with nonmotor walking. The patient did not feel fearful of falling. Conclusion: The benefit of motor orthosis is that it can be used even in pa tients with Lower motor lesions and that it provides stable regulation of h ip flexion movement in spastic patients. In conclusion. this motor orthosis will enhance paraplegic walking.