Article

Different approaches are available to compensate gait in persons with spinal cord
injury, including passive orthoses, functional electrical stimulation (FES), and
robotic exoskeletons. However, several drawbacks arise from each specific
approach. Orthotic gait is energy-demanding for the user and functionally
ineffective. FES uses the muscles as natural actuators to generate gait,
providing not only functional but also psychological benefits to the users.
However, disadvantages are also related to the early appearance of muscle fatigue
and the control of joint trajectories. Robotic exoskeletons that provide joint
moment compensation or substitution to the body during walking have been
developed in recent years. Significant advances have been achieved, but the
technology itself is not mature yet because of many limitations related to both
physical and cognitive interaction as well as portability and energy-management
issues. Meanwhile, the combination of FES technology and exoskeletons has emerged
as a promising approach to both gait compensation and rehabilitation, bringing
together technologies, methods, and rehabilitation principles that can overcome
the drawbacks of each individual approach. This article presents an overview of
hybrid lower-limb exoskeletons, related technologies, and advances in actuation
and control systems. Also, we highlight the functional assessment of individuals
with spinal cord injury.

Langue : ANGLAIS