Design and develop an equipment for lower-limb muscle’s rehabilitation

Abstract

  In Thailand, patients are suffering from partial paresis of the muscles in their legs constitute a significant health problem, which most of these cases are caused by neurological injury. Patients with partial paresis necessitate physical treatment to prevent the progression of intractable complete paralysis. Typically, individuals undertake physical therapy to regain muscle function by utilizing therapeutic equipment. However, most devices are not designed for individuals with partial paralysis in their lower-limb muscles, thus requiring the continuous presence of a physical therapist. Therefore, the objective of this study is to design and develop prototype equipment for the restoration of lower-limb muscle for paresis patients, which can be operated independently. The study started with investigating the physical characteristics of leg muscles and utilizing this information to design the equipment. According to the study, the device ought to replicate sitting-down cycling to assist in the rehabilitation of the thigh muscles, which are essential for walking. The dimensions of the equipment can be adjusted according to various body proportions, while the cycling mechanism can be customized to provide both assistance and resistance based on varying degrees of strength in the leg muscles. The equipment incorporates a foot support mechanism to avoid slippage during usage and is equipped with a control and display system for monitoring performance. The equipment's testing and satisfaction evaluation by physical therapists yielded a significant level of satisfaction. The equipment significantly assists the rehabilitation of leg muscles by enabling cycling at a knee extension angle of 140 degrees, which ensures optimal effort and intensity. Additionally, it was discovered that over a period of 12 weeks, the pedaling force could be raised from 64.5 Newtons to 121.1 Newtons.