Design and analysis of exoskeleton devices for rehabilitation of distal radius fracture

In this work, the mechanical principles of external fixation and resistance training for the wrist affected by a distal radius fracture (DRF) are revealed. Based on the biomechanical analysis, two wearable exoskeleton devices are proposed to facilitate the DRF rehabilitation progress. Chronologically, the adjustable fixation device (AFD) provides fixed protection and limited mobilization of the fractured wrist in the early stage, while the functional recovery of relevant muscles is achieved by the resistance training device (RTD) in the later stage. According to the designed mechatronic systems of AFD and RTD, the experimental prototypes for these two apparatuses are established. By experiments, the actual motion ranges of AFD are investigated, and the feasibility in monitoring joint angles are validated. Meanwhile, the resistant influences of RTD are analyzed based on the surface electromyography (sEMG) signal features, the results demonstrate that the training-induced muscle strength enhancement is generally increased with the increment in external resistance. The exoskeleton devices presented in this work would be beneficial for the active rehabilitation of patients with DRF.