Prosthetic ankle and foot combination

A prosthetic ankle joint assembly comprising a proximal mounting interface, a distal mounting interface, and a joint mechanism interconnecting the proximal and distal mounting interfaces and constructed to allow damped rotational movement of the distal mounting interface relative to the proximal mounting interface about a medial-lateral joint flexion axis, wherein:

• the joint mechanism is arranged to provide a continuous hydraulically damped range of ankle motion during walking with dynamically variable damping resistances associated with ankle motion in the plantar-flexion and dorsi-flexion directions;
• the ankle joint assembly further comprises a control system coupled to the ankle joint mechanism having at least one sensor for generating signals indicative of a kinetic and/or kinematic parameter of locomotion or walking environment;
• the joint mechanism and the control system are arranged such that the damping resistance effective over said range of motion and associated with motion in the dorsi-flexion direction is adapted automatically in response to the signals;
• and
• wherein the control system is arranged to generate signals indicative of ground inclination and to cause the damping resistance in the direction of dorsi-flexion to be increased when the signals are indicative of walking down an incline and decreased when the signals are indicative of walking up an incline.

A prosthetic ankle and foot combination comprising a foot component and an ankle joint mechanism, the ankle joint mechanism including a shin component and being constructed to allow damped rotational movement of the foot component relative to the shin component about a medial-lateral joint flexion axis, wherein:

• the ankle joint mechanism is arranged to provide a continuous hydraulically damped range of ankle motion during walking with dynamically variable damping resistances associated with ankle motion in the plantar-flexion and dorsi-flexion directions;
• the combination further comprises a control system coupled to the ankle joint mechanism having at least one sensor for generating signals indicative of at least one of a kinetic parameter of locomotion, a kinematic parameter of locomotion, and walking environment;
• the ankle joint mechanism and the control system are arranged such that the damping resistance effective over said range of motion and associated with motion in the plantar-flexion direction is adapted automatically in response to said signals;
• wherein the control system is arranged to generate signals indicative of ground inclination and to cause the damping resistance in the direction of plantar-flexion to be decreased when the signals are indicative of walking down an incline and increased when the signals are indicative of walking up an incline.

A prosthetic ankle joint assembly comprising a proximal mounting interface, a distal mounting interface, and a joint mechanism interconnecting the proximal and distal mounting interfaces and constructed to allow damped rotational movement of the distal mounting interface relative to the proximal mounting interface about a medial-lateral joint flexion axis, wherein:

• the joint mechanism is arranged to provide a continuous hydraulically damped range of ankle motion during walking with dynamically variable damping resistances associated with ankle motion in the plantar-flexion and dorsi-flexion directions;
• the ankle joint assembly further comprises a control system coupled to the ankle joint mechanism having at least one sensor for generating signals indicative of a kinetic and/or kinematic parameter of locomotion and/or walking environment;
• the joint mechanism and the control system are arranged such that the damping resistance effective over said range of motion and associated with motion in the plantar-flexion direction is adapted automatically in response to the signals;
• and
• the control system is arranged to generate signals indicative of ground inclination and to cause the damping resistance in the direction of plantar-flexion to be decreased when the signals are indicative of walking down an incline and increased when the signals are indicative of walking up an incline.

A prosthetic ankle and foot combination comprising a foot component and an ankle joint mechanism, the ankle joint mechanism including a shin component and being constructed to allow damped rotational movement of the foot component relative to the shin component about a medial-lateral joint flexion axis, wherein:

• the ankle joint mechanism is arranged to provide a continuous hydraulically damped range of ankle motion during walking with dynamically variable damping resistance associated with ankle motion;
• the combination further comprises a control system coupled to the ankle joint mechanism having at least one sensor for generating signals indicative of at least one of a kinetic parameter of locomotion, a kinematic parameter of locomotion, and walking environment;
• the ankle joint mechanism and the control system are arranged such that the damping resistance effective over said range of motion and associated with motion is adapted automatically in response to said signals;
• and
• the control system is arranged to generate signals indicative of ground inclination and to cause the ratio of the damping resistance in the direction of dorsi-flexion to the damping resistance in the direction of plantar-flexion to alter in response to said signals, such that the ratio increases when the signals are indicative of walking down an incline and decreases when the signals are indicative of walking up an incline.