The Penn Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Gait and Biomechanics Laboratory focuses on motion and gait analysis for both patient care and research in order to better diagnose, treat, and understand movement and gait disorders. The lab features an eight camera Vicon motion analysis system with force plate and an eight channel EMG monitor. The primary research focus for the lab has been with Dr. Dillingham and his team. They have been continuously funded by the NIH, NCMRR and NIA for the past six years through the STTR funding mechanism to design, engineer, test, and commercialize a new prosthetic system for persons with transtibial and transfemoral amputations. This system is injection molded and mass produced through a highly successful collaboration with Advanced Design Concepts, their engineering partner for all engineering and manufacture of these prostheses. This prosthetic device is adjustable to the size and shape of the residual limb and can be fit and aligned in a single session. Such a device holds promise in addressing the high costs of conventional prosthetic manufacture and the need for such devices internationally. This research team recently completed a feasibility trial with 10 subjects and measured the socket pressures, biomechanics of gait, and the self-reported use and comfort of the device. The preliminary results suggest that such an adjustable immediately fit device is feasible and safe.
Dr. Dillingham in June 2017, received continued funding from the NIA for three more years to fully develop a transfemoral immediate fit, injection molded, adjustable prosthetic system.
Penn Gait and Biomechanics Laboratory