Figure 5
From: Locomotor adaptation to a powered ankle-foot orthosis depends on control method
Effects of the powered ankle-foot orthosis on upper leg muscles. The vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), rectus femoris (RF), and medial hamstrings (MH) muscle activations are plotted alongside passive orthosis muscle activations for the first and last minutes of powered orthosis walking for both days of training and both controllers [footswitch control (FS) = thin black line, and proportional myoelectric control (PMC) = thick gray line]. Electromyographies are normalized to the peak passive values. By the end of the second day of training, muscle activation patterns returned very close to normal (light gray dotted line). Each plot is the average of multiple subject data: 6 subjects for all footswitch control data, 6 subjects for proportional myoelectrical control MH, 5 subjects for proportional myoelectrical control VL and RF, 4 subjects for proportional myoelectrical control VM. The average standard deviation over the stride cycle for each signal and each condition is reported in each plot in units consistent with that signal.