BIOMECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF RECIPROCATING MOTION FOR DIS- ABLED INDIVIDUALS WHILE CYCLING

ALTHOUGH BICYCLES HAVE LONG BEEN USED IN THE REHABILITATION OF NEUROMUSCULAR AND MUCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS FOR BOTH LOW-ER AND UPPER EXTREMITIES, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF THE TRADITIONAL CIRCULAR CRANKINGMOTION ON PATIENT REHABILITATION. RETURNING A PATIENCT TO OPTIMUM FUNCTION REQUIRES A VARIETY OF MEASURES TO INCREASE STRENGTH, RANGE OF MOTION, ENDURANCE (BOTH MUSCULAR AND CARDIOVASCULAR), AND OVERALL FITNESS. CURRENT BIOMECHANIC LITERATURE SUGGESTS THAT THE CIRCULAR PEDALLING MOTION OF A BICYCLE WILL PLACE SIGNIFICANT STRESS UPON THE HIP, KNEE, AND ANKLE JOINTS, AS WELL AS MUSCLES SURROUNDING THEM. THE DESIRABILITY OF CIRCULAR CRAKING MOTION, AS OPPOSED TO A LINEAR RECIPROCATING MOTION, FOR REHABILITATION HAS NOT BEENTHE OBJECTIVE OF PHASE I OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DESIGN AND BUILD AN ADJUSTABLE, RECIPROCATING CYCLING SYSTEM FOR REHABILITATION AND EXERCISE OF DISABLED INDIVIDUALS AND TESTITS FEASIBILITY. THE CYCLE, USING HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS, WOULD FACILITATE THE CONTROL (AND PRESCRIPTION) OF VARIOUS PATTERNS AND RANGES OF MOTION AS WELL AS CORRESPONDING FORCES AND MOMENTS UPON THE BODY. BY ALLOWING VARIOUS CONFIGURATIONS OF THE SEAT AND ORIENTATION OF THE PEDALS, A WIDE VARIETY OF CONDITIONS FOR REHABILITATION ARE POSSIBLE. THE PUSH-PULL DOUBLE-ACTING CYLINDER WOULD ALLOW ONLY ONE EXTREMITY TO BE EXERCISED AT A TIME IF DESIRED. A VARIETY OF BIOMECHANICAL MEASUREMENTS WILL DOCUMENT THE FEASIBILITY OF THE SYSTEM FOR REHABILITATION. PHASE II WOULD INCLUDE DESIGN REFINEMENT AND OPTIMIZATION, PHYSIOLOGICAL AND EXTENSIVE BIOMECHANICAL DOCUMENTATION OF THE SYSTEM AS COMPARED TO EXISTING REHABILITATION CYCLES. ACLINICAL EVALUATION OF THE VAILIDITY OF THE SYSTEM FOR REHABILITATION WOULD BE CONDUCTED. IN ADDITION, PRELIMINARYPRODUCTION COSTS AND MARKETING RESEARCH WOULD BE INITIATED.