Concept and design of the HEKTA (Harvest Energy from the Knee and Transfer it to the Ankle) transfemoral prosthesis

The main issues with the current transfemoral prostheses are the insufficient ankle plantarflexion resulting in an insufficient push-off and the lack of knee flexion during stance phase. The HEKTA (Harvest Energy from the Knee and Transfer it to the Ankle) is a prototype of a prosthesis that allows a transfemoral amputee to walk overground with a more natural gait pattern. The prototype allows knee flexion during the stance phase and harvests the energy that needs to be dissipated during the swing phase. The energy is transferred to the ankle where it provides an active push off.