DESIGN IMPROVEMENT OF 4 BAR LINKAGE PROSTHETIC KNEE FOR TRANSFEMORAL AMPUTEES

• Main Author: Dennis, Dionisius
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/61789
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Patients who have had their legs amputated above the knee need a prosthetic leg to walk. The functioning of the prosthetic knee has a significant impact on the stability of the walking process. The ITB Biomechanics Laboratory has designed a 4-bar polycentric knee to address this issue. The 4-Bar Linkage D2 polycentric knee has been under development since 2014 and has been tested on transfemoral amputee patients. The 4-Bar Linkage D2 knee testing results are still unsatisfactory, especially in terms of knee stability. As a result, the 4-Bar Linkage D2 knee design was optimized in this study to achieve better knee performance. The study began with a review of the 4-Bar Linkage D2 knee design and the establishment of Design Requirements and Objectives. The evaluation's results serve as a basis for designing alternative designs. An elevated instant centre, hyper-stabilized, and voluntary control knee mechanism was constructed for the design. After that, the three knee models are manufactured and tested on transfemoral amputees. Afterward, the test results are compared to evaluate how well the three mechanisms performed. Amputees can use all three of the knees that were developed and built. The three knees functioned significantly better than the single-axis prosthetic knee, according to the data collected. As a result of the high level of stability of the three knees, patients with transfemoral amputations are able to move around and conduct their everyday tasks without trouble. The number of participants in this study might be increased, allowing for a more objective evaluation of the questionnaire.