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

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目开发了一种用于神经肌肉训练的新型运动装置，用于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屈伸，但在次要/次要轴（膝盖的腿扭曲和侧摆，脚踝扭曲和侧摆）上的运动更有限，损伤通常发生在过度的次要/次要轴负荷下。然而，目前还缺乏方便有效的装置来训练人类下肢在功能性主轴行走/跑步运动中的小/次轴神经肌肉控制。本项目将针对强运动和临床需求，开发一种独特的小/二次轴运动装置，帮助受试者改善小/二次轴神经肌肉控制，康复/预防因过度小/二次轴负荷引起的膝盖/脚踝损伤。实际上，这种小/二轴运动机制可以与许多现有的运动器械（椭圆机、踏步机、爬楼梯机、自行车和腿压机）一起实现小/二轴训练。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训练方式、广泛使用的锻炼平台和集中的训练方案。提出的独特的小/次级轴神经肌肉训练装置可以直接帮助减少各种下肢损伤。此外，它可能对人体下肢（也可能以类似的方式上肢）的多个关节有益，也可能对神经系统疾病和肌肉骨骼损伤中有轻微/次级轴损伤的个体有益。同样，广泛发生的膝骨关节炎和致残的主要原因与不平衡/不适当的额平面负荷密切相关。所提出的小/次轴训练装置将提供一个通用的平台和训练策略，帮助人们更好地处理整个下肢潜在的有害离轴负荷，并进行定量的结果评估。实际上，小/二轴训练可以在各种常见的运动设备上进行，包括椭圆机、踏步机、爬楼梯器和自行车。小/二次轴训练装置可用于医院/诊所进行手术后/损伤康复，也可用于健身房和家庭环境中进行损伤预防训练和康复。可以对不同年龄和不同运动/活动水平的人进行训练，以更好地为潜在的伤害性离轴负荷做好准备，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.