There are various types of insole therapy for the purpose of alleviating pain and improving the distribution of plantar pressure. Current insole therapy mainly focuses on dynamic alignment and control alignment by bone arrangement. The sensory interlocking insert is different from the conventional insole therapy plate and is an insole therapy plate whose alignment is controlled by muscles and tendons. Perceptually linked inserts stimulate or inhibit muscles and muscle chains through the action of spots called elements. It is an insole therapy that lets you learn how to use the correct muscles by controlling the alignment. At this time, we will report on the evaluation method and clinical effect from the theory of sensory interlocking insert. Perceptually-linked inserts are more effective when used in combination with stretching and strength training.

The purpose of this research is to verify the cause of malfunction of a myoelectric prosthesis. Subjects were 14 healthy adults wearing simulated artificial hands. Shearing force and pressure at elbow flexion and extension were measured with a thin sensor. Three sensors were affixed in the socket : 1) Outer electrode installation position (outer part), 2) 2.5 cm above the olecranon (above the olecranon), and 3) Inner electrode installation position (inside part). Shear forces at elbow flexion and extension had low values. Therefore, it was difficult to conclude that malfunction occurred due to the electrode being displaced on the skin. On the other hand, the pressure was significantly lower in the inner part than outer part. This result showed that the inner part was liable to cause poor contact with the stump compared to the outer part. It is suggested that this likelihood is one of the factors behind the malfunction of a myoelectric prosthesis.

This study was conducted to clarify whether the type of orthosis and physical function of the patient affect the time of wearing an orthosis, focusing on wearing of ankle foot orthoses by stroke patients. We studied 19 stroke patients in chronic phase, and measured the wearing time using three types of ankle foot orthosis: shoe horn brace, ankle foot orthosis with joint, and Gait Solution Design (GSD). After confirming the effect of the dominant hand, we analyzed the wearing time of each of the orthoses according to Brunnstrom recovery stage. The results showed that the wearing time was shortest for the ankle foot orthosis with joint, and suggest that the mobility of the ankle joint of the orthosis and the position of the lower leg strap affect the wearing time. Wearing the GSD took time, and guidance was required when wearing this orthosis.

Conservative treatment is the first choice for treating ulnar-side wrist pain, and splinting is commonly used. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of splinting in treating ulnar-side wrist pain. Eighteen patients with 18 hands that underwent splinting for ulnar-side wrist pain were studied. Pain at rest and pain during movement were measured using the visual analog scale (VAS), and the results obtained at the initial evaluation and final evaluation were compared. Final evaluation was possible in 13 patients (13 hands). In these patients, both pain at rest and pain during movement were significantly reduced (p<0.01) at the final evaluation. These results suggest that wearing a splint improves the adaptation of the distal radioulnar joint and reduces the pain during movement. However, the detailed dynamics of the distal radioulnar joint during splint wearing has not been elucidated, and further study is needed.

The purpose of this study is to assist the hip extension moment in the paralytic side loading response using the hip joint extension assist type walking assist device ACSIVE and to investigate the effects on the paralyzed hip joint of hemiplegic stroke patients. The subjects were 12 hemiplegic stroke patients. With ACSIVE, the hip flexion angle at initial contact was reduced, and the hip maximum extension angle during stance phase was increased. The maximum hip joint extension moment decreased during the loading response, and the maximum hip joint flexion moment increased during the stance phase. Using ACSIVE leads to an increase in the maximum hip joint extension angle and hip joint flexion moment during the stance phase. It is thought that gait ability can be improved by walking using ACSIVE.