Assessment of In-Hospital Walking Velocity and Level of Assistance in a Powered Exoskeleton in Persons with Spinal Cord Injury.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) often use a wheelchair for mobility due to paralysis. Powered exoskeletal-assisted walking (EAW) provides a modality for walking overground with crutches. Little is known about the EAW velocities and level of assistance (LOA) needed for these devices.

Objective

The primary aim was to evaluate EAW velocity, number of sessions, and LOA and the relationships among them. The secondary aims were to report on safety and the qualitative analysis of gait and posture during EAW in a hospital setting.

Methods

Twelve individuals with SCI ≥ 1.5 years who were wheelchair users participated. They wore a powered exoskeleton (ReWalk; ReWalk Robotics, Inc., Marlborough, MA) with Lofstrand crutches to complete 10-meter (10 MWT) and 6

SUBMITTER: Yang A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4568091 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature