BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF UPPER LIMB REHABILITATION DEVICE FOR GUIDING MOVEMENTS SELECTION
Keywords:
Upper limb rehabilitation, Biomechanics, OpenSim, Muscle force analysisAbstract
Purpose: The selection of appropriate rehabilitation movements is critical for the effective design of upper limb rehabilitation devices. Conventional approaches primarily rely on mechanical degrees of freedom, often neglecting quantitative biomechanical evaluation, which may lead to mismatches between device motion and human physiological characteristics. This study proposes a biomechanics-driven framework to guide rehabilitation movement selection. Methods: Four representative upper limb rehabilitation movements were selected based on the Brunnstrom recovery stages. Joint range of motion (ROM) data were collected from ten healthy subjects using clinical measurement methods. These kinematic data were imported into the OpenSim musculoskeletal model (DAS3) to simulate muscle forces of the deltoid, biceps brachii, and triceps brachii. Root mean square (RMS) values of muscle forces were calculated and statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD post-hoc tests. Results: Significant differences in muscle activation were observed among the four movements. Horizontal adduction/abduction and flexion/extension exhibited significantly higher RMS muscle forces, particularly in the deltoid and triceps (p < 0.05). These movements demonstrated both higher peak forces and sustained muscle activation levels. Conclusion: The findings indicate that rehabilitation movements with higher biomechanical activation potential can be effectively identified through musculoskeletal simulation. Horizontal adduction/abduction and flexion/extension are recommended as optimal guiding movements for upper limb rehabilitation device design. This study provides a quantitative and physiologically grounded approach to improve the compatibility between rehabilitation devices and human motion.References
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