ISPO 2013 - 14th World Congress, Hyderabad (INDIA), 4-7 February 2013

A movement analysis application

to analyze energy recovery in the prosthetic feet
Frigo Carlo1, Pavan Esteban1, Cecini Pietro2 , Bonacini Daniele2
1 Laboratory of Movement Biomechanics and Motor Control - TBM Lab Bioengineering Department, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy-
2Roadrunnerfoot Engineering Srl, Milan, Italy

Introduction Method: data processing

A method has been developed to compute the amount of energy stored
and restituted during walking by ESR prosthetic feet. This approach can
The ground reaction force (GRF), was transferred to a reduction point at the
be used to compare different foot designs and the effect of different
covering materials and shoes. basis of the pylon, and the ground reaction moment (GRM) was computed in
relation to this same reduction point.

The translational and rotational

Method: experimental set-up velocities of the pylon were computed
and multiplied by GRF and GRM
respectively.
-Movement analysis system (Smart- b
E, BTS, Italy) with 8 TV cameras P= GRF x V + GRM x w
working at 60 Hz

-One force platform (Kistler 9286,

Switzerland) GRF V

-Retroreflective markers over

w
relevant bone prominences and
prosthesis
GRM = GRF x b
…so that the power flow between ground
and pylon was quantified. Then, by time GRF
integration, the energy exchange was
computed.

Method: subjects and materials

-Two subject with transtibial and one with transfemural
Y amputation (age 26+/- 4 y (sd))

-Prostheses equipped with a newly designed multi-leaf

foot (Roadrunnerfoot, Italy)
Z
-Trials performed barefoot and with covers of different
materials: polyurethane, silicone and EVA.
X

Results
A local reference system was attached to the prosthetic pylon
just above the deformable foot leaves Energy wasted by the barefoot was
about 5 J and did not increase
significantly with covers (t-Student
Ground reaction force (GRF) were measured during the foot- test, p<0.05) except for covers in
ground contact. Cover: polyurethane, for which the energy
Polyurethan dissipated was about 8 J.
Contributes of rearfoot and forefoot
can be assessed.

Conclusions
As expected the cover has a detrimental effect on the energy
recovery in the ESR feet.
For some materials this effect could be negligible. However
the shoes can additionally contribute to energy wasting.
Our method allows us to quantitate these effects, and will be
used in the future to analyse the energy store and restitution Cover:
mechanism in several combinations of foot design, cover and Silicone rubber Cover:
shoe. Polyvinil Ethilene (EVA)

.
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