Researchers Developing Bio-inspired Prosthetic Knee

Appolinaire Etoundi, PhD, MEng, MSc, senior lecturer in mechatronics at University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), is leading the research that will analyze the functions, features, and mechanisms of the human knee to translate the information into a new procedure for designing prosthetic knees. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="325"] From left, Etoundi and Andy Lewis, a British Paralympic triathlon gold medalist. Once the new knee is developed, Lewis who has a transfemoral amputation, will participate in testing to compare its energy consumption and gait efficiency to current prostheses. Photograph courtesy of UWE Bristol.[/caption] Etoundi, a member of the Medical Robotics group at Bristol Robotics Laboratory, which looks at the application of robotic technology in human-controlled and surgical applications, previously developed a design procedure for humanoid robotic knee joints. He is turning his attention to biomimicry for the new prosthesis. In addition to examining how the human knee works, the researchers will look closely at the design of knee replacements used in surgery and at current knee joints in prosthetic limbs. These three areas of knowledge will inform a procedure for designing a knee that could give greater, more responsive movement, while offering the control and intelligence that comes from robotics. "I have spent years designing knee joints for humanoid robots, but the human knee has evolved over millions of years and is incredibly successful," Etoundi says. "The human knee is a very complex joint with ligaments, which guide the motion of the knee, and bones that perform the motion. Current mechanisms in prosthetic knees have a straightforward pin joint with ball bearings that does not have the sophisticated range of motion and stability of the human knee with its cruciate ligaments. The complex interaction between the soft tissue (ligaments) and the bones in the knee joint is an area that has yet to be replicated in prosthetics. "I want to create a prosthetic knee that will give the greatest range of motion with the least friction, enabling walking, climbing stairs, squatting. and stability, while also offering important attributes of current prosthetics and the benefits of robotic technology." Editor's note: This story was adapted from materials provided by the UWE Bristol.

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