Walking faster and farther with a soft robotic exosuit: Implications for post-stroke gait assistance and rehabilitation.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Soft robotic exosuits can improve the mechanics and energetics of walking after stroke. Building on this prior work, we evaluated the effects of the first prototype of a portable soft robotic exosuit.

Methods

Exosuit-induced changes in the overground walking speed, distance, and energy expenditure of individuals post-stroke were evaluated statistically with alpha set to 0.05 and compared to minimal clinically important difference scores.

Results

Compared to baseline walking without the exosuit worn, the <5kg exosuit did not substantially modify walking speed, distance, or energy expenditure when worn unpowered. In contrast, when the exosuit was powered on to provide an average 22.87±0.58 %bodyweight of plantarflexor force assistance during the paretic

SUBMITTER: Awad LN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7971412 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature