Prosthetics and Orthotics Research

Prosthetics and orthotics research in the Motion Analysis Lab includes the following focus areas:

Improved training program for fall prevention for war fighters with lower extremity trauma

Dr. Kaufman's lab is working to accelerate the rehabilitation process, significantly reduce fall risk, and facilitate return of maximal functional capabilities for active duty or retired service members who have experienced lower limb trauma, specifically transfemoral amputation, bilateral lower extremity amputation and limb salvage procedures.

The lab is applying a perturbation-based technique for rehabilitation for these patients. The technique has previously been shown to successfully reduce falls in war fighters with unilateral transtibial amputations. Our current project focuses on intervention during the early stages of rehabilitation.

Anthropomorphic robotic ankle prosthesis with programmable materials

The long-term goal of this focus area is to explore maneuverability in design of assistive robot prostheses for enhancing the mobility and well-being of people with amputations and in the aging population.

Development of a national orthotic and prosthetic registry

In this focus area, the goal of Dr. Kaufman's research team is to produce a preliminary list of data elements that can be used in a national orthotic and prosthetic registry, with a long-term goal of improving the delivery and quality of orthotic and prosthetic care to patients.