Michaud Florian, Mouzo Francisco, Lugrís Urbano, Cuadrado Javier
Laboratory of Mechanical Engineering, University of La Coruña, Ferrol, Spain.
Front Neurorobot. 2019 Jul 18;13:55. doi: 10.3389/fnbot.2019.00055. eCollection 2019.
Determination of muscle energy expenditure by computer modeling and analysis is of great interest to estimate the whole body energy consumption, while avoiding the complex character of experimental measurements for some subjects or activities. In previous papers, the authors presented optimization methods for estimating muscle forces in spinal-cord-injured (SCI) subjects performing crutch-assisted gait. Starting from those results, this work addresses the estimation of the whole body energy consumption of a SCI subject during crutch-assisted gait using the models of human muscle energy expenditure proposed by Umberger and Bhargava. First, the two methods were applied to the gait of a healthy subject, and experimentally validated by means of a portable gas analyzer in several 5-min tests. Then, both methods were used for a SCI subject during crutch-assisted gait wearing either a passive or an active knee-ankle foot orthosis (KAFO), in order to compare the energetic efficiency of both gait-assistive devices. Improved gait pattern and reduced energy consumption were the results of using the actuated gait device. Computer modeling and analysis can provide valuable indicators, as energy consumption, to assess the impact of assistive devices in patients without the need for long and uncomfortable experimental tests.
通过计算机建模和分析来确定肌肉能量消耗，对于估计全身能量消耗具有重要意义，同时避免了某些受试者或活动实验测量的复杂性。在之前的论文中，作者提出了用于估计脊髓损伤（SCI）患者使用拐杖辅助步态时肌肉力量的优化方法。基于这些结果，本研究利用Umberger和Bhargava提出的人体肌肉能量消耗模型，探讨了脊髓损伤患者在拐杖辅助步态期间的全身能量消耗估计。首先，将这两种方法应用于健康受试者的步态，并通过便携式气体分析仪在多次5分钟测试中进行实验验证。然后，在脊髓损伤患者使用被动或主动膝踝足矫形器（KAFO）进行拐杖辅助步态时，使用这两种方法，以比较两种步态辅助装置的能量效率。使用主动步态装置的结果是步态模式得到改善，能量消耗降低。计算机建模和分析可以提供有价值的指标，如能量消耗，以评估辅助装置对患者的影响，而无需进行长时间且不舒服的实验测试。
