Projeto e fabricação de joelheira mecânica para auxilio na extensão e flexão do joelho

Abstract

Life expectancy in Brazil has gradually increased in recent decades. However, although the fact should be celebrated, population aging has generated an increase in age-related diseases, such as osteoartrite, which consists of a disease related to ligaments, especially of the knee and causes difficulties in movement and pain. Thus, a prototype of knee braces was developed that facilitates the movement of flexion or extension of the knee, with the objective of improving the quality of life of these people. The prototype developed presents characteristics different from the usual ones found on the market. In this device there is the presence of twist springs, whose role is to mitigate the efforts of knee ligaments when requested; has angulation limiters responsible for limiting flexion movements; and have a coupling system between the device on the right side with the device on the left side, aiming to obtain better results in rehabilitation exercises. in addition, the springs used in the prototype in laboratory tests were analyzed to obtain their behavior and stiffness values, which presented a nonlinear behavior with their stiffness ranging between values from 1.9 N.m/rad to 3 N.m/rad.