Ankle Joint Stretching Device Using Tension Rod for Self Rehabilitation

Abstract

This paper proposed an ankle joint stretching device that is intended for self-rehabilitation by using a tension rod structure. Physical therapists treat their patients to prevent a subject ankle joint’s contracture and improve walking function. Still a sufficient rehabilitation therapy cannot be done due to demand for a labor-task of the ankle joint rehabilitation. There is a demand for the self-rehabilitation system long time to reduce the labor task, and especially it can be installed easily in a chair or bed in a patient home. By using a pantograph jack and spring casters, the developed device does not depend on installation location. It does not need a transfer assist process to the rehabilitation machine, which causes back pain of caregivers, and it allows for a self-rehabilitation of an ankle joint stretching. The experiment confirmed that the positional relationship was stabilized between the rotation axis of the device and the ankle joint position within (σ_x,σ_y)=(2.4, 2.5) mm during ankle dorsiflexion stretching in a fixed state of the device, which was realized by the pantograph jack and spring casters. Our proposed system that does not need transfer assistance before/after treatment will lead to self-rehabilitation for the ankle joint.