Article

The high energy cost of paraplegic walking using a reciprocating gait
orthosis (RGO) is attributed to limited hip motion and excessive upper limb
loading for support. To address the limitation, we designed the hip energy
storage walking orthosis (HESWO) which uses a spring assembly on the pelvic shell
to store energy from the movements of the healthy upper limbs and
flexion-extension of the lumbar spine and hip and returns this energy to lift the
pelvis and lower limb to assist with the swing and stance components of a stride.
Our aim was to evaluate gait and energy cost indices for the HESWO compared to
the RGO in patients with paraplegia. METHODS: The cross-over design was used in
the pilot study. Twelve patients with a complete T4-L5 chronic spinal cord injury
underwent gait training using the HESWO and RGO. Gait performance (continuous
walking distance, as well as the maximum and comfortable walking speeds) and
energy expenditure (at a walking speed of 3.3m/min on a treadmill) were measured
at the end of the 4-week training session. RESULTS: Compared to the RGO, the
HESWO increased continuous walking distance by 24.7% (P<0.05), maximum walking
speed by 20.4% (P<0.05) and the comfortable walking speed by 15.3% (P<0.05), as
well as decreasing energy expenditure by 13.9% (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our
preliminary results provide support for the use of the HESWO as an alternative
support for paraplegic walking.
CI - Copyright (c) 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Langue : ANGLAIS