Motion-Capture Comparison of Unilateral and Bilateral Knee Orthoses in Orthopedic Rehabilitation

Abstract

This thesis examines the contribution of orthosis, between having unilateral (support on one side of the knee) orthoses compared to bilateral (support on both sides of the knee orthoses, to a patient's rehabilitation process following knee-related orthopedic injuries. Such as muscle weakness, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, or impaired bone function resulting from surgical procedures or neurological diseases.

Since ethical guidelines restrict the use of patients with knee-related orthopedic injuries in this research. Therefore, only healthy subjects were recruited, and all tasks were within the normal range of motion. The analysis was done with Optical Motion Capture and biomechanical properties, allowing for a detailed analysis of the orthoses. The orthosis with support on both sides of the knee was the more stable option in 10 out of 12 comparisons. The results point to a clear trend: that the two-sided support is the most effective option in terms of control and stability.

This research provides insight into how well the orthoses contribute to rehabilitation and the potential it has in optimization of medical applications.