Article

A 12-yr-old child, with a history of gestational Erb-Duchenne palsy and, later,
musculoskeletal injuries in the left arm caused by a car accident, inspired the
design of a customized exoskeleton-like device. Such piece, intended for
rehabilitation, has one degree of freedom because the exercise routine involves
elbow flexion-extension, which was indicated for the damaged muscular group. The
device has two functioning modes, passive and assisted, in which the patient can
trigger the movement by a biceps contraction, thus promoting the active role of
the user in the rehabilitation process. The results were evaluated in terms of
qualitative measures of the biceps and the triceps performed by the medical staff
and by a questionnaire related to functional activities of the upper limb. A significant improvement in the arm movement and elbow angle was observed after 3
mos of assisted therapy, complementary to conventional exercises. In conclusion,
a simple and low-cost device was designed and tested to complement the
rehabilitation process of a pediatric patient with physical impairment.

Langue : ANGLAIS