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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Four-Bar Linkage Knee

Satisfactory Essays

Engineers and researchers have been working on the prosthetic leg with an artificial knee joint for years. The first model of four-bar linkage knee was introduced by Zuppinger in 1904. He suggested that the cruciate ligaments on the knee would be described similar to a rigid gear unit (12). Followed by that, many researches have been done. The artificial knee joint was introduced to the market and has been applied on the actual amputees successfully.
Definitely, there will be more innovations on the artificial knee in the future in order to achieve the better function and the most comfortable feeling for the patient. There are two types of prosthetic knees, single-axis knees and polycentric knees. Polycentric knees are more popular than …show more content…

The instantaneous center of rotation is point O, intersection of the two extended lines pass through BC and DE. (1)
Analysis

1. In Stance Phase
In this position, the amputee is standing straight. The alignment point is recommended at the midpoint of the line connecting points B and E (see Fig. 1.2). Draw the straight vertical line through that point, we get the T.A line (Trochanter-Ankle). The stability is based on the T.K.A theory (Trochanter-Knee-Ankle), which is the location of the instantaneous center of rotation becomes the knee center. As discussed above, the instantaneous center of rotation is the intersection point of two lines BC and DE (see Fig 1.1). It should be noted that the instant center of four bar is changing through different position flexion.
In this case, the distance from T.A. line to the instant center O indicates system stability. Looking at Fig 1.1, this distance is assumed as Alpha. If the knee center O is posterior to the T.A line, Alpha value will be positive, indicating stability. On the other hand, if the knee center is anterior to the T.A line, Alpha will become negative and followed by instability. Comparing a four-bar linkage knee with a single-axis knee, Alpha is zero for single-axis knee while it is positive for four bar linkage knee at this full extension position. When flexion begins, Alpha value is decreasing; however, it remains positive for the first few degrees of

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