Preliminary design of an energy storing orthosis for providing gait to people with spinal cord injury.

A new design is proposed for an energy storing orthosis (ESO) that restores walking to people with spinal cord injury by combining functional electrical stimulation of the quadriceps muscle with a mechanical brace that uses elastic elements to store and transfer energy between hip and knee joints. The new ESO is a variation of a previous design and uses constant force springs for energy storage. Based on the detailed design and on dynamic simulations, the concept has demonstrated preliminary technical feasibility.