Ankle joint rotator prototype designed for creating different angles of rotation at the ankle joint in performing various daily activities

• Published in: IOP conference series. Materials Science and Engineering 2020-09, Vol.920 (1), p.12002
• Main Authors: Li, T P, Bhuiyan, M S H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ankle; Joints (anatomy); Prostheses; Rotation; Safety factors
• ISSN: 1757-8981; 1757-899X
• DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/920/1/012002

The prosthetic ankle joint in lower limb prosthesis replaces the missing ankle of the amputee. The prosthesis users want the prosthesis to enable them creating the desired angle of rotation at the ankle joint like that of a healthy biological ankle. The ankle joint prostheses currently available in the market are unable to produce sagittal plane rotations for squatting and kneeling postures. Absence of a proper ankle joint rotator and lack of their universal adaptability have limited the utility and the performance of the prosthetic ankle joint. An ankle joint rotator capable of enabling its users to squat and kneel with ease has been designed. A model of the knee joint rotator has been developed, and simulation has been carried to out to verify the functionality of the design before fabrication. The new ankle joint rotator was found capable of withstanding an external force of 3000N with a minimum safety factor of 5.18. The newly developed ankle joint rotator is able to facilitate the squatting and kneeling postures safely by enabling the prosthetic ankle joint to rotate in different angles.