Simulation of swing phase dynamics in above-knee prostheses.

Abstract The paper presents a dynamic analysis of an above-knee prosthesis during the swing period of the walking cycle. The prosthesis consists of a four-bar knee mechanism with a pneumatic swing control unit. The kinematics of the knee joint, the dynamics of the leg, and the thermodynamics of the controller are analyzed. As predicted on the basis of the analysis, the behavior of the prosthesis compares well with experimental measurements. The analysis is useful in evaluating prosthetic devices during the design stage.