A new low-cost, light-weight prosthetic knee joint for better gait
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi have designed and fabricated a low-cost, and light-weight polymeric polycentric prosthetic knee joint with energy-efficient gait option. The prosthetic is made up mainly of polymeric material through injection molding technique and is polycentric in design consisting of an upper part, a lower part with pylon adaptor, a middle bar, a side bar and connecting bolts. It weighs a mere 350 grams. The upper and lower parts are made of plastic material and the side and middle bars are made of aluminum alloy with a high strength-to-weight ratio. The side and the middle bars transfer the total weight of the body from the upper part of the knee joint to the lower part during single limb stance phase. The prosthetic has multiple articulations with four axis points being the most common configuration. Since the four axes are connected by four linkage bars, this type of polycentric knee is also called four bar knee. Polycentric designs ...
