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Dynamic analysis of impact in swing-through crutch gait using impulsive and continuous contact models

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Abstract

The dynamics associated with the impact of the crutch with the ground is an important topic of research, since this is known to be the main cause of mechanical energy loss during swing-through gait. In this work, a multibody system representing a subject walking with crutches is used to investigate the behavior of two different contact models, impulsive and continuous, used for impact analysis. In the impulsive (discrete) approach, the impact interval is considered to be negligible and, therefore, the system configuration is constant. The postimpact state is directly obtained from the preimpact one through algebraic equations. In the continuous approach, the stiffness and dissipation characteristics of the contact surfaces are modeled through nonlinear springs and dampers. The equations of motion are integrated during the impact time interval to obtain the postimpact state, which, in principle, can differ from that obtained by means of the impulsive approach. Although both approaches have been widely used in the field of biomechanics, we have not found any comparative study in the existing literature justifying the model chosen for impact analysis. In this work, we present detailed numerical results and discussions to investigate several dynamic and energetic features associated with crutch impact. Based on the results, we compare the implications of using one contact model or the other.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the project DPI2009-13438-C03-03 and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The support is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Diagonal 647, 08028, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain

    Josep M. Font-Llagunes, Ana Barjau & Rosa Pàmies-Vilà

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Centre for Intelligent Machines, McGill University, 817 Sherbrooke St. West, H3A 2K6, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    József Kövecses

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  1. Josep M. Font-Llagunes
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Correspondence to Josep M. Font-Llagunes.

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Font-Llagunes, J.M., Barjau, A., Pàmies-Vilà, R. et al. Dynamic analysis of impact in swing-through crutch gait using impulsive and continuous contact models. Multibody Syst Dyn 28, 257–282 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11044-011-9300-9

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