Improving stand-to-sit maneuver for individuals with spinal cord injury

This study explores how to improve the stand-to-sit (STS) movement for people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) using electrical stimulation (ES). The researchers tested two orthotic mechanisms: one that links hip and knee movement, and another that dampens knee motion for a smoother descent. Both mechanisms helped coordinate hip and knee joints, reduced reliance on arms, and lessened impact force when sitting, making the movement closer to that of non-disabled individuals.

• 1
  Both the hip-knee coupling and knee damping mechanisms improved coordination between the hip and knee joints during the STS maneuver.
• 2
  Both mechanisms significantly reduced upper limb support forces by 70% and impact force by half compared to using stimulation alone.
• 3
  The knee damping mechanism provided a lower and more constant knee angular velocity compared to the hip-knee coupling mechanism.