Assistance and rehabilitation of gait disorders using active lower limb orthoses

Gait disorders are reported as outcome of gait parameters changed due to walking diseases. The impaired rehabilitation gait with active lower limb orthoses, mainly ankle-foot-orthoses (AFOs) and knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs), stands out due to possibility of recovery occur in daily living activities and incorporate the subject´s voluntary participation. The purpose of this review is to compare the current designs and control strategies of mentioned orthoses. According to revised literature, an appropriate design should contain an articulated joint, a powered system, a control strategy (preferable impedance or myoelectric schemes) and be made of carbon-fiber. To assistance in real environment, the high-level control should integrate the online recognition of gait mode. Further, AFOs and KAFOs achieve efficiently the main goals of their use, owing essentially to an improvement of balance control during walking. Future designs should continue to be developed to turn more confident the application over activities of daily living.