Background: The development of ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs)
have come a long way over the past decade. However, most improvements are
mainly focused on gait performance. Hereby, other tasks are overlooked. This is
also stated by AFO- users. AFO-users want an AFO that can be adjusted to suit
dierent tasks. An adjustable AFO should allow adjustments for dierent shoes, and
improve performance of tasks such as walking slopes, standing up/sitting down.
Furthermore, a small, lightweight and durable solution is desired. Aim: The aim
of this study is to design and develop a hinge-mechanism for an ankle-foot
orthosis that increases versatility and ease of use among AFO-users. Problem
Analysis: By talking to an AFO specialist and an AFO-user, insights are gathered
that help establish the functional requirements and design specifications. This
led to two main functional requirements. The first one is being able to easily
adjust the alignment angle of the AFO. The second requirement is being able to
lock and unlock the mechanism. This will allow the user to have more angular
freedom in the ankle joint. Conceptual Design: To come to a proper design, an
overview was made of mechanisms that could fit in the design of the hinge.
Using criteria, each mechanism was evaluated and a final design had been
chosen. The push-out gear mechanism was chosen to adjust the alignment. For the
locking mechanism the locking pin was chosen. Concept Development: During the
design process, the mechanism was iteratively improved. The locking mechanism
was replaced by a rotating wedge, and the geometry of the mechanism was
adjusted to be able to handle the loads. In the end, the mechanism was
fabricated which demanded further changes in the design. The housing was
3D-printed, while other parts where laser-cut or turned on a lathe. Evaluation:
The final product was evaluated by the same AFO-user and specialist who gave
advice at the beginning of this study. Furthermore the design was
experimentally tested on holding torque using a load test. Lastly the design
specifications were compared to the actual design. Conclusion: In this study,
an AFO hinge mechanism was designed and built that increases versatility and
easy of use among AFO-users. This was achieved by two mechanisms. A pull-out
gear allows to quickly adjust the alignment angle. This allows easy adjustment
for wearing different shoes. A rotating wedge mechanism accommodates the
(un)locking of the mechanism. Although there are still some improvements to be
made, the prototype worked as expected. Also, the prototype was able to bear
the load which was set at the beginning of the research. To see its true potential,
the mechanism should be fitted inside an AFO. Although this mechanism looks
promising, hands-on experience will really tell the added value of an
adjustable hinge mechanism.