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Lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton robots (LLRERs) play a positive role in lower limb rehabilitation and assistance for patients with lower limb disorders, and they are helpful to improve patients’ physical status. More and more experiments pay more attention to the kinematic and dynamic data characteristics of different patient groups. However, it is not clear whether these devices have broad adaptability and their clinical significance, so it is necessary to summarize and analyze these research results. This paper summarizes the LLRERs prototype and product in recent years, also compares the advantages and disadvantages of the theory and technology used in these research, and compares the functional characteristics of the devices, finally summarizes the aspects of the LLRERs to be improved. These devices apply advanced theories, techniques or structures, as well as human kinematics and dynamics data. However, due to the complexity of human body characteristics and movement rules, the theory or technology applied in the study design of LLRERs remains to be further studied, which can be improved in many aspects, such as improve the human-computer cooperation of equipment or carry out clinical trials. This paper can provide reference for researchers and designers in the future study, as well as understanding and selecting LLRERs for all kinds of therapist and patients.

Lower‐limb motion monitoring is highly desired in various application scenarios ranging from rehabilitation to sports training. However, there still lacks a cost‐effective, energy‐saving, and computational complexity‐reducing solution for this specific demand. Here, a motion capturing and energy harvesting hybridized lower‐limb (MC‐EH‐HL) system with 3D printing is demonstrated. It enables low‐frequency biomechanical energy harvesting with a sliding block‐rail piezoelectric generator (S‐PEG) and lower‐limb motion sensing with a ratchet‐based triboelectric nanogenerator (R‐TENG). A unique S‐PEG is proposed with particularly designed mechanical structures to convert lower‐limb 3D motion into 1D linear sliding on the rail. On the one hand, high output power is achieved with the S‐PEG working at a very low frequency, which realizes self‐sustainable systems for wireless sensing under the Internet of Things framework. On the other hand, the R‐TENG gives rise to digitalized triboelectric output, matching the rotation angles to the pulse numbers. Additional physical parameters can be estimated to enrich the sensory dimension. Accordingly, demonstrative rehabilitation, human‐machine interfacing in virtual reality, and sports monitoring are presented. This developed hybridized system exhibits an economic and energy‐efficient solution to support the need for lower‐limb motion tracking in various scenarios, paving the way for self‐sustainable multidimensional motion tracking systems in near future. A motion capturing and energy harvesting hybridized lower‐limb system is proposed for low‐frequency biomechanical energy harvesting and lower‐limb motion sensing. Combining with the Internet of Things framework, the hybridized system exhibits an economic and energy‐efficient solution to support the need for lower‐limb motion tracking in various applicable scenarios, paving the way for self‐sustainable multidimensional body motion tracking systems in near future.

Purpose The aim was to evaluate the safety and possibility of performing high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on a stationary bike for participants with cancer-related lower limb lymphedema (LLL) with and without compression garments in a cross-over design. Methods Twenty-one participants with LLL were randomized to two sessions of HIIT on a stationary bike, one with and one without compression garments. The sessions were separated by a seven-day washout period. The trial was carried out in a hospital setting from September to November 2018. The acceptability and safety of the intervention were assessed. The safety was evaluated as adverse events and immediate and 24-h changes in self-reported symptoms (pain, heaviness, and tension). Additionally, recruitment, completion rate, and post-exercise changes in LLL were assessed by circumferential measurements of the legs, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS), respectively. Results Twenty-one out of 35 (60%) eligible patients were included, and 19 (90%) patients completed both exercise sessions. Acceptability was high, and there were no adverse events. There was no clinically relevant difference between performing exercise with and without compression in self-reported symptoms or in limb volume. Small statistically significant differences in soft tissue mass (164.2 g corresponding to 1.4%) and extracellular fluid (L-Dex range < 5 units) were observed with and without compression, respectively, both favoring exercise with compression. Conclusion HIIT on a stationary bike was acceptable for patients with LLL and seemed safe regardless of the use of compression garments. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov registration (NCT03653819).

Obstacle crossing is an essential component of human locomotion, particularly for individuals with lower limb amputations who face elevated risks of imbalance and falls. While prior studies have explored this task, they often lack a comprehensive examination of kinematic and kinetic changes throughout the entire gait cycle across varying obstacle heights. This study creates a novel dataset collected from ten healthy adults performing obstacle crossing at four different heights (7.5 cm, 15 cm, 22.5 cm, and 30 cm). Kinematic and kinetic data (angles and torques of hip, knee, and ankle) were recorded and analyzed. Results indicate that increased obstacle height leads to a longer swing phase and significant increases in both hip and knee joint angles (1.5 × and 1.0×, respectively) and torques. In contrast, ankle joint angles and moments exhibited minimal variation across obstacle heights, indicating a relatively consistent movement strategy at the ankle. Furthermore, significant asymmetries were observed between the dominant and non-dominant foot: the dominant foot demonstrated larger hip and knee joint angles and more consistent ankle behavior, reflecting greater coordination. These findings offer valuable biomechanical insights for improving fall prevention strategies and informing the design of assistive devices such as prostheses and exoskeletons.

Vertical jump performance is a commonly used test to measure lower-limb muscle power that is carried out with several types of equipment. The aim of this study was to validate an open-source jump mat (Chronojump Boscosystems) against a proprietary jump mat (Globus Ergo Tester). Sixty-three active sportsmen (age 23.3 ± 2.4 years) completed 8 maximal-effort countermovement jumps (CMJ). The heights of the 504 CMJ were measured from the two jump mats simultaneously. Reliability was examined with intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), paired samples t-tests, coefficient of variation (CV) and Cronbach’s α. Bivariate Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) was used to examine validity. Effects were evaluated using non-clinical magnitudebased inference. There was almost perfect agreement between instruments (ICC = 0.999−1.000, most likely positive 100/0/0). Paired t-test showed a mean difference of 0.03 ± 0.21 cm (90% CI -0.04 − -0.01) between

Objective: To explore adults’ experiences of lower limb amputation, focusing on the changes in self-identity related to the impairment. Design: A cross-sectional and qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed by two independent researchers. Setting: A rehabilitation medicine service from a general public hospital. Participants: A convenience sample of 42 patients with lower limb amputation performed after the age of 18 and followed up in the physical medicine and rehabilitation department of a general hospital. Main outcome measures: A semi-structured interview, addressing three core areas: the emotional impact of amputation; the adjustment process; and the relation with the external resources. Results: Eight themes emerged from interviews: reactions and feelings about becoming amputee; changes in own life; problems in well-being; relation with the prosthesis; self-perceptions; aims related to the rehabilitation and future plans; relation with the rehabilitation; and perceived social support. These results supported a theoretical model for the self-identity changes related to limb loss. Conclusions: The self-identity changes after a lower limb amputation appear beyond the patient’s body image and functioning, affecting the patient’s awareness of the impairment, biographical self and any future projections.

This study primarily aimed to trace the linkages between the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt [originating from the North Atlantic] and the \"Great\" Colonialism [originating from Portugal]. Consequently, the study adopted the qualitative documentary method to observe, scrutinize, and interpret the linkages between the Ocean Conveyor Belt and Colonialism. The findings show that India lies along the North Indian Ocean in South Asia [i.e. right above the point where the conveyor's lower limb (its subsidiary) first U-turns to loot heat] where the Portuguese first initiated the process after their arrival in 1498, while China lies along the coast of the North Pacific Ocean in East Asia [i.e. the second point where the conveyor's lower limb later U-turns to loot heat] where the colonizers later extended their expansion to and, then, U-turned to annex lands, loaded ships with goods, and cruised back to Europe. However, the conveyor's lower and upper limbs deliver, inter alia, processed materials and wars to the South and raw materials and race struggles to the North, respectively. The North-South Conveyor Belt Model, thus, maintains that the conveyor's upper and lower limbs superimpose positive and negative effects on the Global North and South, respectively. This study sets out with the ambition of making an intervention in the field of International Relations [IR]. First, the study begins with the attempt to establish the nexus between the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt and the 'Great' Colonialism at four critical points in the North Atlantic, North Indian, and North Pacific Oceans. Second, it draws on the Conveyor Belt Model [CBM] to develop the North-South CBM [N-S CBM] for IR. The N-S CBM has seven interesting stages as follows: (1) the Origin of the Conveyor Belt, (2) the 'Southward' and 'Northward' Exploration, (3) Interdependence and Redistribution, (4) the North Atlantic Hegemonic Rise, (5) the North Atlantic Hegemonic Swings, (6) the Conveyor Shutdowns, and (7) the Conveyor's Reactivation. In Stages One to Seven, the study traces the linkages between the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt and the 'Great' Colonialism to build the N-S CBM.

In physiotherapy, there is still a lack of practical measurement options to track the progress of therapy or rehabilitation following injuries to the lower limbs objectively and reproducibly yet simply and with minimal effort and time. We aim at filling this gap with the design of an IMU (inertial measurement unit) system with only one sensor placed on the tibia edge. In our study, the IMU system evaluated a set of 10 motion tests by a score value for each test and stored them in a database for a more reliable longitudinal assessment of the progress. The sensor analyzed the different motion patterns and obtained characteristic physiological parameters, such as angle ranges, and spatial and angular displacements, such as knee valgus under load. The scores represent the patient’s coordination, stability, strength and speed. To validate the IMU system, these scores were compared to corresponding values from a simultaneously recorded marker-based 3D video motion analysis of the measurements from five healthy volunteers. Score differences between the two systems were almost always within 1–3 degrees for angle measurements. Timing-related measurements were nearly completely identical. The tests on the valgus stability of the knee showed equally small deviations but should nevertheless be repeated with patients, because the healthy subjects showed no signs of instability.

A lower-limb exoskeleton robot identifies the wearer′s walking intention and assists the walking movement through mechanical force; thus, it is important to be able to identify the wearer′s movement in real-time. Measurement of the angle of the knee and ankle can be difficult in the case of patients who cannot move the lower-limb joint properly. Therefore, in this study, the knee angle as well as the angles of the talocrural and subtalar joints of the ankle were estimated during walking by applying the neural network to two inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors attached to the thigh and shank. First, for angle estimation, the gyroscope and accelerometer data of the IMU sensor were obtained while walking at a treadmill speed of 1 to 2.5 km/h while wearing an exoskeleton robot. The weights according to each walking speed were calculated using a neural network algorithm programmed in MATLAB software. Second, an appropriate weight was selected according to the walking speed through the IMU data, and the knee angle and the angles of the talocrural and subtalar joints of the ankle were estimated in real-time during walking through a feedforward neural network using the IMU data received in real-time. We confirmed that the angle estimation error was accurately estimated as 1.69° ± 1.43 (mean absolute error (MAE) ± standard deviation (SD)) for the knee joint, 1.29° ± 1.01 for the talocrural joint, and 0.82° ± 0.69 for the subtalar joint. Therefore, the proposed algorithm has potential for gait rehabilitation as it addresses the difficulty of estimating angles of lower extremity patients using torque and EMG sensors.

The scissor jump (SKJ) is vital in badminton, particularly for backcourt shots, but fatigue increases lower limb load and injury risk. This study investigates how quadriceps fatigue affects biomechanical characteristics and load during SKJ landing, aiming to understand its impact on injury risk. This study involved 27 amateur male badminton players from Ningbo University. Quadriceps fatigue was induced via knee exercises and footwork drills. Biomechanical data before (prior fatigue—PRF) and after fatigue (post fatigue—POF) were recorded using a force platform and motion capture system. Muscle activation was measured with EMG and analyzed through musculoskeletal modeling, with paired t-tests and SPM 1D (Statistical Parametric Mapping 1D) for statistical analysis. Under the POF condition, knee flexion angle increased, and power decreased (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively); ankle plantarflexion angle increased, and power decreased (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). As fatigue progressed, joint reaction forces initially decreased but later increased. Joint energy dissipation decreased, with differences more pronounced in the coronal than sagittal plane. Achilles tendon force and anterior–posterior tibial shear force decreased, while coronal plane center-of-mass displacement increased. Findings show quadriceps fatigue harms limb stability, upping knee and ankle loads, disrupting the movement pattern, and risking coronal plane injuries. It is recommended that athletes enhance quadriceps endurance, improve neuromuscular control, and refine landing techniques to maintain stability and prevent injuries when fatigued.