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）第二阶段项目开发了一种新的运动设备，用于关于次要/次要轴的神经肌肉训练，以减少和预防下肢损伤。考虑到下肢关节（包括膝关节和踝关节）可以自由屈伸，但围绕次要/次要轴的运动（膝关节处的腿部扭转和侧摆以及踝关节扭转和侧摆）要有限得多，因此，损伤通常会在过度次要/次要轴载荷下发生。然而，目前还缺乏方便有效的设备，可以用来训练人体下肢功能性长轴步进/跑步运动过程中的短轴/次轴神经肌肉控制。本项目将满足剧烈运动和临床需求，并开发一种独特的小轴/次轴运动器械，以帮助受试者改善小轴/次轴神经肌肉控制，并康复/预防与过度小轴/次轴载荷相关的膝关节/踝关节损伤。实际上，该次轴/次轴锻炼机构可以用许多现有的用于次轴/次轴训练的锻炼机器（椭圆机、踏步机、爬楼梯机、自行车和压腿机）来实现。作为一个强大的临床评价工具，该系统还可以提供定量的结果评价。 该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括新颖的训练模式，广泛使用的运动平台和集中的训练方案。 所提出的独特的小/次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，它可能有益于人类下肢（以及可能以类似方式的上肢）中的多个关节，并且它可能有益于神经系统疾病以及肌肉骨骼损伤中具有轻微/继发性轴损伤的个体。类似地，广泛发生的膝关节骨关节炎和残疾的主要原因与不平衡/不适当的额面载荷密切相关。建议的小/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伤害性离轴载荷，并进行定量结果评估。实际上，可以在包括椭圆机、踏步机、爬楼梯机和自行车在内的各种常见锻炼设备上实施小轴/次轴训练。小轴/次轴训练装置可用于医院/诊所进行术后/损伤康复，也可用于健身房和家庭环境进行损伤预防训练和康复。不同年龄和不同运动/活动水平的人可以接受培训，以更好地为潜在的有害离轴载荷做好准备，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.