Evaluation and improvement of existing features of foot excersize apparatus designed for use in evertor and invertor muscle dysfunction

Congenital clubfoot is one of the most common foot deformities worldwide. Although the deformity of the foot seen in this disease can be corrected somewhat with current treatment methods, many patients develop the problem of side-stepping walking - dynamic supination - due to foot evertor muscle weakness over time. Today, there is no effective physical therapy or exercise method to strengthen the foot evertor muscles in children and surgical treatments are needed. Especially children cannot perform the exercises correctly and effectively and relapse after surgery is possible. For these reasons, there is a need to develop different and effective approaches to strengthen these muscles and to perform the necessary exercises correctly and effectively. In parallel with this issue, in our thesis study, additional studies were carried out on the prototype foot exercise apparatus (Pedped1) produced within the scope of the TEYDEB 1507 Programme, project numbered 7201279, carried out by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Osman Nuri Özyalvaç. In this context, the apparatus developed in this context was examined in detail and studies were carried out for more effective use in evertor muscle strengthening. Additional biomedical device design was made and mechatronic approaches were applied to develop the apparatus to be used more effectively. In the first step of the thesis, the problems encountered during the use of the apparatus were identified. In order to overcome these problems and to make the apparatus more effective, (1) the mechanical design of the prototype was analysed, the degrees of freedom were calculated in real and digital environment, (2) the materials used in the manufacture of the prototype were examined and a suitable material type was determined to be produced with a 3D printer, (3) the control design and wireless connection were checked, and finally (4) the optimum design was produced with the Pedped2 3D printer by evaluating the data of the prototype. According to the results obtained; (1) while the degree of freedom of the prototype was 27.4, this value was 31.8 in the new apparatus designed. 8, (2) Tough PLA material was deemed suitable for production with a 3D printer, thus a lightweight, easy to use and easy to produce apparatus was obtained, (3) control design, bluetooth connections for wireless connection were examined, (4) it was determined that the features of this new design such as easy to use, easy to produce and lightweight were determined to be prominent in order to be suitable for clinical use, (5) finally, it was concluded that it would be appropriate to focus on studies to optimise the size by distributing the centre of gravity in order for the new design to perform better. In our study, for the first time, a design and mechatronic approach for the development of an orthopaedic apparatus that can be used for evertor and inverter muscle dysfunction is presented. the results obtained in this study have been analysed. In addition, the results obtained in this study have also contributed to the purpose of "providing high quality, economic health services equipped with modern technology, capable of adapting to innovations in the field of life sciences, equipped with modern technology, to everyone living within the borders of the country, anywhere and anytime in the field of health, as stated in the National Science and Technology Policies 2003 - 2023 Strategy Document published by TÜBİTAK; to develop and produce high-tech treatment systems and materials and devices used for this purpose by gaining competence in the fields of life sciences and biotechnology".