Design of a triceps orthosis for C5/C6 quadriplegics

Persons with spinal cord injury at the C5/C6 cervical level typically have relatively well preserved biceps function, but minimal or no voluntary control of triceps. Our previous work has showed that this results in deficiencies in speed and accuracy of elbow movements. Our goal is to build a simple mechanical orthosis, worn at the elbow, to correct these deficiencies. In this study, we have further defined the mechanical components of the orthosis by using a mathematical model and experiments with C5/C6 quadriplegics in which mechanical springs and damping elements were electronically emulated.