SBIR Phase II: Developing a Pivoting-sliding Elliptical Machine for Knee Injury Prevention/Rehabilitation

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)二期项目开发了一种新的神经肌肉训练装置，用于围绕小/次级轴进行训练，以减少和预防下肢损伤。考虑到包括膝关节和踝关节在内的下肢关节可以自由弯曲-伸展，但围绕短轴/次轴的运动要有限得多(腿扭曲和膝部侧摆，脚踝扭曲和侧摆)，伤害经常发生在长轴/副轴负荷过大的情况下。然而，在功能性长轴踏步/跑步运动中，还缺乏方便有效的训练人体小轴/次轴神经肌肉控制的装置。该项目将针对强烈的运动和临床需求，并开发一种独特的短轴/次轴锻炼装置，以帮助受试者改善短轴/次轴神经肌肉控制，并恢复/预防与过高的短轴/次轴负荷相关的膝关节/脚踝损伤。实际上，这种短中轴锻炼机构可以与许多现有的锻炼机器(椭圆机、踏步机、爬梯机、自行车和压腿机)一起实现，用于短中轴训练。作为一种强大的临床评估工具，该系统还可以提供定量的结果评估。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括新颖的培训模式、广泛使用的锻炼平台和重点培训方案。所提出的独特的短轴/次级轴神经肌肉训练装置可能直接有助于减少各种下肢损伤。此外，它可能有益于人类下肢(可能以类似的方式存在于上肢)的多个关节，也可能有益于在神经系统疾病和肌肉骨骼损伤中有轻微/次级轴损伤的个人。同样，广泛发生的膝骨性关节炎和残疾的主要原因与额面负荷不平衡/不适当密切相关。拟议的短轴/次轴训练装置将提供一个通用的平台和训练策略，以帮助人们更好地处理整个下肢的潜在损伤离轴负荷，并进行量化结果评估。在实践中，可以在椭圆机、踏步机、爬梯机、自行车等各种常见的运动器材上进行短中轴训练。短轴/次轴训练装置可在医院/诊所用于手术后/损伤康复，以及在健身房和家庭环境中用于损伤预防训练以及康复。不同年龄和不同运动/活动水平的人可以接受培训，以更好地为可能造成伤害的离轴负荷做准备，并避免潜在的伤害。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project develops a new exercise device for neuromuscular training about the minor/secondary axes to reduce and prevent lower-limb injuries. Considering joints in the lower-limb including knee and ankle are free to flex-extend but with much more limited motions about the minor/secondary axes (leg twisting and side sway at the knee and ankle twisting and side sway), injuries often occur with excessive minor/secondary axis loadings. However, there is a lack of convenient and effective devices that can be used to train minor/secondary-axis neuromuscular control of human lower-limb during functional major-axis stepping/running movements. This project will address the strong exercise and clinical needs and develop a unique minor/secondary-axis exercising device to help subjects improve minor/secondary-axis neuromuscular control and rehabilitate/prevent knee/ankle injuries associated with excessive minor/secondary-axes loadings. Practically, this minor/secondary-axis exercising mechanism can be implemented with many existing exercise machines (elliptical machine, stepper, stair climber, bicycles, and leg press machines) for minor/secondary-axis training. As a powerful clinical evaluation tool, this system can also provide quantitative outcome evaluation. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project includes the novel training modality, widely used exercise platforms, and focused training protocol. The proposed unique minor/secondary-axis neuromuscular training device may directly help reduce various lower limb injuries. Furthermore, it may benefit multiple joints in the human lower (and potentially upper in a similar way) limbs and it may benefit individuals with minor/secondary-axis impairments in neurological disorders as well as musculoskeletal injuries. Similarly, the widely occurring knee osteoarthritis and leading cause of disability is closely associated with unbalanced/improper frontal plane loadings. The proposed minor/secondary-axis training device will provide a general platform and training strategy to help people better deal with potentially injurious off-axis loadings of the whole lower limbs with quantitative outcome evaluations. Practically, the minor/secondary-axis training can be implemented on various common exercise equipment including elliptical machines, steppers, stair climbers, and bicycles. The minor/secondary-axis training device can be used in hospitals/clinics for post-surgery/injury rehabilitation, and in gym and home settings for injury prevention training as well as rehabilitation. People of various ages and at various sports/activity levels can be trained to better prepare for potentially injurious off-axis loadings and avoid potential injuries.