Designing A Mechanism To Inhibit Talocrural Joint Movement To Facilitate The Location Of The Subtalar Joint Axis
Open Access
Author:
Witt, Gregory Stuart
Area of Honors:
Mechanical Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Stephen Jacob Piazza, Thesis Supervisor Stephen Jacob Piazza, Thesis Supervisor Professor Matthew M Mench, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
subtalar talocrural subtalar axis locator
Abstract:
The purpose of this honors thesis was to create a device that restricts the motion of the talocrural joint in the human ankle in order to determine the location of the subtalar joint axis. By locating this axis, an accurate analysis of the internal muscular moment about the subtalar joint can be performed. The ability to determine the subtalar axis can be crucial for the treatment of a number of foot and gait disorders, such as cerebral palsy, planovalgus, and cavovargus (club foot). Despite decades of research done on the subject, there is currently no effective non-invasive technique to determine the location of the axis, especially one that can be conveniently utilized in gait laboratories. This project builds upon these previous studies, using a technique known as the subtalar axis locator (SAL) approach to isolate and track subtalar joint movement. Months of investigation and design culminated in a device known as the Subtalar Axis Locator II, or SAL II. Preliminary testing has confirmed that the SAL II successfully utilizes verifiably accurate techniques to find the axis while meeting the design requirements necessary for the device to be practical in a clinical setting. Once the testing protocol has been approved by the Penn State Institutional Review Board, the device can be used to locate the subtalar joint axis in subjects and determine the internal moment at the joint.
