Crossing Obstacles - Otto Bock Genium X3 Series Patient Information

be achieved via the mass inertia of the lower part of the leg� Immediately after lifting the extended leg
off the floor, simultaneously extend the hip briefly and then abruptly flex it� This whip action flexes the
knee� The knee joint recognises this movement sequence and sets flexion resistance to minimum�
Without activation of this mode - i�e� with stance phase resistance - knee flexion would be limited
and unpleasant pressure would be felt on the residual limb� The movement pattern is very similar
to the physiological process if the toes extend below the next higher step at the beginning of the
cycle� Here, too, the heel has to be pulled back first� Practice the "toes under the step" movement
pattern with the sound side and with the prosthesis; then the complete movement pattern is intuitive
and easy to learn�
When sufficient knee flexion has been achieved, the knee joint increases extension resistance so that
there is enough time to position the foot on the next step before the knee joint is extended again� The
supporting area for the foot on the step has to be sufficient so that the heel does not extend back
too far over the edge� With too little support area, the lower leg would extend too early and position
the leg too far backwards� In this phase, the knee joint has already maximised the flexion resistance
(that is, further flexion is blocked)� The knee joint can no longer be flexed but only extended� This
ensures that the leg does not buckle if the hip strength is not sufficient for the extending motion�
Support yourself with your hand on the contralateral side� A smooth wall is also sufficient for this
purpose� This lateral support is intended to prevent the residual limb from twisting in the socket�
Twisting can lead to unpleasant surface tension between the skin and the socket� Lateral support
also improves your balance�
When the knee joint is fully extended, the initial position has been reached� You can climb the next
step or continue walking normally�

Crossing obstacles:

The stairs and obstacles function can be used to cross obstacles� Instead of achieving the required
ground clearance of the prosthetic foot through lateral abduction of the extended leg, the whip action
described above can be used� This is also possible from the walking motion�
Take the weight off the prosthetic leg when the knee joint is extended and then perform the whip
motion, which switches the knee joint to the stair and obstacle function� This delays the extension
movement, giving enough time and ground clearance to step over an obstacle�
The prosthetic leg will not be fully extended upon heel impact� An active knee joint would be required
to achieve this� Since the knee joint is locked in the flexion direction during this phase, putting weight
on it does not pose a hazard� You can then resume walking normally� The stairs and obstacles func-
tion can be activated by the prosthetist using the X-Soft configuration software�
Optimized Physiological Gait (OPG) function
OPG minimizes the X3 user's prosthetic deviations and promotes a more biomechanically correct
gait pattern� There are no initiation or exit strategies that apply to OPG - it simply happens during
the course of normal walking� Selection of this function enables the following features: (1) PreFlex
(2) Adaptive Yielding Control (3) Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) (4) Stance Release on Ramps,
and (5) Adaptive Swing Phase Control� Adaptive Swing Phase Control and DSC are enabled even
if OPG is not activated�
OPG Features
(1) PreFlex
PreFlex ensures the knee is in four degrees of flexion at the end of swing phase in preparation for
loading response� PreFlex allows users to walk with natural stance flexion independent of gait speed�
The prosthetic foot will also reach foot flat more quickly to promote stability especially on uneven
Genium X3 - Bionic Prosthetic System Ottobock | 11