11 healthy men used the HEPHAISTOS unloading orthosis in an ambulatory 8 week intervention study. It greatly reduces calf muscle forces without reducing ground reaction forces.
The 56day unloading intervention with HEPHAISTOS had the following key objectives: 1. Primary objective: Assessment and evaluation of bone adaptation. 2. Secondary objective: Assessment and evaluation of functional and structural muscular adaptations. 3. Third objective: Assessment and evaluation of functional and structural vascular adaptations. 4. Fourth objective: Assessment and evaluation if the present findings deviate from findings observed in established unloading models.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
11
The Hephaistos unloading orthosis greatly reduces plantarflexor muscle torque and plantarflexor muscle activation during any gait activity.
German Aerospace Center
Cologne, North Rine Westphalia, Germany
Bone density as measured with pQCT
Change from baseline to 14 days after immobilization phase
Time frame: At baseline and up to 12 months after the immobilization phase
Structural and functional parameters of arterial adaptation
Change in intima \& media thickness.
Time frame: At baseline and up to 12 months after the immobilization phase
Structural and functional parameters of arterial adaptation
Change in arterial diameter
Time frame: At baseline and up to 12 months after the immobilization phase
Structural and functional parameters of arterial adaptation
Change in blood flow
Time frame: At baseline and up to 12 months after the immobilization phase
Structural and functional parameters of arterial adaptation
Change in flow-mediated dilation
Time frame: At baseline and up to 12 months after the immobilization phase
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