[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

View full abstract

[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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For an earlier study, the authors examined effects of wheelchair-mounted bicycles of two types, a rotating type and a step-on type, on muscles that act against gravity. Results show the step-on type as more effective for training antigravity muscles. For that earlier study, only the right foot pedal sensor was used. By contrast, pedal sensors for both feet were used for the present study. Data were obtained from seven 20–22-year-old participants while riding bicycles with the two drive systems described above with trajectories shown by reflective markers attached to the participants’ body surfaces and reported forces from the left and right pedal sensors. We analyzed the data using OpenSim musculoskeletal model analysis software. The resultant values were similar to earlier results, reflecting significantly lower values of lower extremity joint angular range of motion and significantly lower extremity joint moment amplitudes when using the step-on type bicycle. Trends of the maximum and integral values of lower limb muscle forces were consistent with earlier results, but there were some areas where no marked differences were observed.

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Using an ankle spasticity measurement device, we developed a calculation formula and a measurement method for stiffness which was a quantitative index of muscle-tendon extensibility. Stiffness was calculated using acquired data of an angle sensor and a gyro sensor by the suggested formula, and they were compared to verify the validity. 9 healthy adult subjects were given to continuous electrical stimulation (4 levels intensity) of the plantar flexor muscles of the ankle joint to reproduce pseudo hypertonia. We performed a two-way ANOVA with sensor and stimulus intensity as factors to compare the two groups. As a result, only the stiffness calculated using the data of a gyro sensor increased according to the stimulus intensity increased. The following is suggested as to the cause of this problem. When using an angle sensor, the angular acceleration needs to be calculated by second-order differentiation of the angle data. However, noise is amplified by numerical differentiation, and the accuracy of the stiffness measurement is reduced. Therefore, the ankle spasticity instrumentation device with a gyro sensor has enabled the measurement of ankle stiffness with high validity.

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