MRI-based approach towards customized knee orthotic joints and exoskeletons for constraint force reduction

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024)

Approximately two million people annually suffer from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. To provide injured athletes with a sense of security, protect them from recurring injuries, and guide and stabilize the joint, knee orthoses (KO) can offer a solution. If KO are misaligned, causing a mismatch of KO kinematics with that of the natural knee, constraint forces causing long-term damage may arise. This is especially true if KO are used as exoskeletons that transmit higher joint loads. A mismatch of kinematics can lead to decreased sprinting speed, faster athlete fatigue, and increased forces acting on the ACL compared to conditions without KO. This study aims to design KO which reduce inappropriate biomechanical stress to the knee joint and improve congruence between the orthotic joint (OJ) and the natural knee joint.