Reducing energy consumption during walking is a critical goal for transtibial amputees. The study presents the evaluation of a semi-active prosthesis with five transtibial amputees. The prosthesis has a low-power actuator integrated in parallel into an energy-storing-and-releasing foot. The actuator is controlled to compress the foot during the stance phase, supplementing the natural compression due to the user’s dynamic interaction with the ground, particularly during the ankle dorsiflexion phase, and to release the energy stored in the foot during the push-off phase, to enhance propulsion. The control strategy is adaptive to the user’s gait patterns and speed. The clinical protocol to evaluate the system included treadmill and overground walking tasks. The results showed that walking with the semi-active prosthesis reduced the Physiological Cost Index of transtibial amputees by up to 16% compared to walking using the subjects’ proprietary prosthesis. No significant alterations were observed in the spatiotemporal gait parameters of the participants, indicating the module’s compatibility with users’ natural walking patterns. These findings highlight the potential of the mechatronic actuator in effectively reducing energy expenditure during walking for transtibial amputees. The proposed prosthesis may bring a positive impact on the quality of life, mobility, and functional performance of individuals with transtibial amputation.

中文翻译：

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通过在 ESAR 脚中集成低功率执行器来提高小腿截肢者的行走能量效率

减少步行过程中的能量消耗是小腿截肢者的一个关键目标。该研究对五位小腿截肢者的半主动假肢进行了评估。该假肢具有并联集成到能量存储和释放脚中的低功率执行器。控制致动器在站立阶段压缩足部，补充由于用户与地面的动态相互作用而产生的自然压缩，特别是在脚踝背屈阶段，并在蹬离阶段释放储存在足部的能量，以增强推进力。控制策略适应用户的步态模式和速度。评估该系统的临床方案包括跑步机和地上步行任务。结果表明，与使用受试者专有假肢行走相比，使用半主动假肢行走可使小腿截肢者的生理成本指数降低高达 16%。参与者的时空步态参数没有观察到显着的变化，表明该模块与用户的自然行走模式兼容。这些发现凸显了机电执行器在有效减少小腿截肢者行走过程中的能量消耗方面的潜力。所提出的假肢可能会对经胫骨截肢患者的生活质量、活动能力和功能表现产生积极影响。