The Immobility

Machine
Julia Duffy
  Bedridden patients are more
likely to have muscular
Research atrophy.
Problem
  Patients with major illnesses that cause them to be bedridden face
the unfortunate reality of losing strength in their muscles,
specifically, their leg muscles, which is detrimental to their health.
 As they proceed through recovering with their illness, they also
need to rebuild their muscles and may lack the ability to perform
daily functions.
 I wanted to find a better way for these patients to deal with this
Background issue.
Information
  Abductors: gluteus minimus and medius, tensor fasciae latae,
sartorius and the piriformis.
 Adductors: Adductor magnus, minimus, brevis, and longus. The
Muscles Gracilis and Pectineus
 Flexers: Iliopsoas, Sartorius, Rectus Femoris
  As Chase’s article mentioned about repeated motions not helping muscles for long,
I will use resistance bands of different strength to keep people improving their
strength.
 Resistance bands also tie into Guzman’s article about resistance training being the
best method for older or unable personnel to improve their muscle strength.
 Also, as I went along in my research there have been no full ties made between
chronic illness and how to prevent the muscle loss they face.
 I am hoping my research and design will assist in filling this gap and helping
provide more research to help assist these people in living their best lives.

Lit Review  Repeated exercises do not always help because “muscle’s plasticity is most readily
evident in its adaptations to repeated exercise”(Chase & Karatzaferi 2013).
 When a person becomes chronically ill, they are inactive.
 Muscle fatigue from disease is due to inactivity which causes the fatigue to be
persistent and endangers the persons safety because “weakness can lead to falls
that may result in a loss of independence”(Chase & Karatzaferi 2013).
 Loss of independence then leads to more inactivity which causes muscle atrophy
and down the line leads to premature death.
  To help bedridden patients
keep/retain their muscular
ability.
 To build a machine that will
Objectives allow bedridden patients to be
comfortable while working
their muscles in bed.
 Attach Attach two 2'x2' pieces of wood in a chair position.

Assemble Assemble the leg pieces of the board at the end of the seat.

On the inner and outer thigh of the machine, attach eye hooks to make the bands
Attach interchangeable.

Procedure Pad Pad the seats for comfort.

Cover After the skeleton is constructed, cover the machine in blue fabric.

Add Once the machine is covered, add a pocket to the back for storage.

After the machine is finished, test the Flexion, Extension, Abduction, Adduction and the ability of
Test the machine.
Results
 With Modifications means I had to wrap the
band around my foot an extra time for
resistance.
  This machine worked well, and the comfort was acceptable.
 The Thera bands on this machine have been tested and stayed
stable in use.
 The Thera bands are all interchangeable using eye hooks that they
tie onto.

Conclusion
  This machine can be greatly improved.
 It could be more comfortable.
 This machine is very stiff when using it, and a more bendable
Future Research material would be better.
 If I stuck to wood, I also could use a thicker wood to make it more
stable.
  Rob, My PT for assisting my knowledge of human anatomy.
 Coach Adam Freeman, My Sports Med teacher for teaching me
Thank You about the human body.
 Mrs. Tatum, For my grammar skills.
 Mrs. Allard and Mr. O'Neil for running STEM.