Influence of exoskeleton therapy on gait parameters in patients with cerebral palsy

Adam Trzyna, Anna Brachman, Tomasz Łosień, Grzegorz Sobota


Adam Trzyna, Anna Brachman, Tomasz Łosień, Grzegorz Sobota – Influence of exoskeleton therapy on gait parameters in patients with cerebral palsy. Fizjoterapia Polska 2022; 22(2); 194-201

Abstract
Objective. The study presents the results of research aimed at assessing the influence of exoskeleton therapy on the basic spatiotemporal and kinetic parameters of gait in patients with cerebral palsy (CP).
Material and methods. Seventeen patients with CP (II GMFCS) participated in the study. The training program lasted 8 weeks with a two-week break in the middle of the entire cycle (3 weeks – 2 weeks off – 3 weeks). The training session lasted 90 minutes. The patients trained wearing an exoskeleton (Ekso GT) under the supervision of a qualified physiotherapist. The gait analysis was performed on the Zebris FDM-TDL treadmill for the preferred and maximum tolerated velocity, before and after the entire training program.
Results. When walking at maximum tolerated velocity, participants improved velocity, step rate, step length, gait cycle length, and gait cycle time. Contact times have significantly changed for the forefoot, midfoot, and heel areas. The stance phase time for the left and right sides decreased significantly. The above-mentioned parameters for the preferred velocity did not change statistically significantly.
Conclusions. Positive changes were observed for conditions more difficult than the preferred gait. More research is needed in different configurations of intensity, volume and duration of the entire rehabilitation cycle to optimize the rehabilitation program and maximize outcomes.
Key words:
exoskeleton, cerebral palsy (CP), gait analysis, gait re-education
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