The ankle dorsiflexion kinetics demand to increase swing phase foot-ground clearance: implications for assistive device design and energy demands.

Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101232233 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1743-0003 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 17430003 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Neuroeng Rehabil Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: [London] : BioMed Central, 2004-

Self-Help Devices* ; Ankle Joint*/physiology ; Ankle*/physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal*/physiology; Humans ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Walking/physiology ; Gait/physiology ; Young Adult ; Foot/physiology ; Equipment Design ; Biofeedback, Psychology/instrumentation ; Biofeedback, Psychology/methods ; Kinetics

Background: The ankle is usually highly effective in modulating the swing foot's trajectory to ensure safe ground clearance but there are few reports of ankle kinetics and mechanical energy exchange during the gait cycle swing phase. Previous work has investigated ankle swing mechanics during normal walking but with developments in devices providing dorsiflexion assistance, it is now essential to understand the minimal kinetic requirements for increasing ankle dorsiflexion, particularly for devices employing energy harvesting or utilizing lighter and lower power energy sources or actuators.
Methods: Using a real-time treadmill-walking biofeedback technique, swing phase ankle dorsiflexion was experimentally controlled to increase foot-ground clearance by 4 cm achieved via increased ankle dorsiflexion. Swing phase ankle moments and dorsiflexor muscle forces were estimated using AnyBody modeling system. It was hypothesized that increasing foot-ground clearance by 4 cm, employing only the ankle joint, would require significantly higher dorsiflexion moments and muscle forces than a normal walking control condition.
Results: Results did not confirm significantly increased ankle moments with augmented dorsiflexion, with 0.02 N.m/kg at toe-off reducing to zero by the end of swing. Tibialis Anterior muscle force incremented significantly from 2 to 4 N/kg after toe-off, due to coactivation with the Soleus. To ensure an additional 4 cm mid swing foot-ground clearance, an estimated additional 0.003 Joules/kg is required to be released immediately after toe-off.
Conclusion: This study highlights the interplay between ankle moments, muscle forces, and energy demands during swing phase ankle dorsiflexion, offering insights for the design of ankle assistive technologies. External devices do not need to deliver significantly greater ankle moments to increase ankle dorsiflexion but, they should offer higher mechanical power to provide rapid bursts of energy to facilitate quick dorsiflexion transitions before reaching Minimum Foot Clearance event. Additionally, for ankle-related bio-inspired devices incorporating artificial muscles or humanoid robots that aim to replicate natural ankle biomechanics, the inclusion of supplementary Tibialis Anterior forces is crucial due to Tibialis Anterior and Soleus co-activation. These design strategies ensures that ankle assistive technologies are both effective and aligned with the biomechanical realities of human movement.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)

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Keywords: Ankle assistive devices; Ankle dorsiflexion energy; Ankle dorsiflexion moment; Ankle dorsiflexion muscle forces; Ankle foot orthoses; Minimum foot clearance; Swing biomechanics

Date Created: 20240621 Date Completed: 20240621 Latest Revision: 20241010

20241010

PMC11191291

10.1186/s12984-024-01394-x

38907255