Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the kinematic data and energy consumption of domestic swing and stance phase (SNS) control knee assembly in transfemoral amputees.

Method: Five male transfemoral amputees took prosthetic training of more than one week and evaluated with random applying 3 types of knee assembly; mechanical type, pneumatic type, and domestic SNS type. Kinematic data was obtained by the VICON 370 system (Oxford Metrics Ltd., UK.). Energy consumption was measured using a KB1-C (Aerosport Inc, U.S.A).

Results: Domestic SNS type showed a significantly increased walking speed, cadence and step length compared with mechanical type and pneumatic type (p＜0.05). Domestic SNS type showed a significantly increased maximal hip flexion and extension compared with mechanical type and pneumatic type (p＜0.05). Domestic SNS type showed decreased peak knee flexion at swing phase and significantly increased peak knee extension at stance phase compard with mechanical type and pneumatic type (p＜0.05). In energy consumption, the domestic SNS type tended to show a lower O₂ cost and faster walking speed than the mechanical type and pneumatic type at free-walking.

Conclusion: We concluded the domestic SNS type had more tendency toward a normal gait pattern and lower energy consumption compared with mechanical type and pneumatic type.

Objects: The purpose of this study is to estimate the values of foot pressure of the stance phase during a gait cycle in hemiplegic gait.

Method: Thirty patients who had a stroke and forty healthy adults were evaluated by the EMED-SF system to analyze the stance phase of hemiplegic gait. The stance phase was evaluated by 6 points according to the foot pressure and center of pressure proposed by Lee et al.²⁾

Results:

1) In hemiplegics, the stance time of involved limb decreased compared with that of the uninvolved limb and increased that of control groups (p＜0.05).

2) In hemiplegics, the midstance time increased but the loading response and terminal stance decreased compared with the uninvolved limb and controls (p＜0.05).

3) In hemiplegics, the midstance time decreased and the loading response and terminal phase increased according to the increased Brunnstrom stage (p＜0.05).

Conclusion: The results showed that an analysis of stance phase by the measurement of plantar pressure was a valuable parameter in the gait analysis of hemiplegic patients.

The purpose of this study was to detect where the center of pressure in foot would be located at the end point of loading response and the terminal stance by the dynamic plantar pressure measurement.

Seventeen adults who had the usual feet without a pathologic gait were evaulated simultaneously by the motion analysis using VICON 370, and the plantar pressure measurement using EMED-SF. Two devices were set in the 60 Hz frame. The foot was divided into 3 different zones; hindfoot, midfoot, and forefoot.

The end point of loading response was located at the 1.92⁑1.46 frame distal to the hindfoot- midfoot borderline. The end point of terminal response was located at the 2.27⁑1.96 frame distal to the maximal pressure points of metatarsal head.

Authors could differentiate each period of stance phase; the initial contact, loading response, mid-stance, terminal stance, and preswing, using the analysis of center of pressure by the dynamic plantar pressure measurement.