Swank Chad, Wang-Price Sharon, Gao Fan, Almutairi Sattam
Texas Woman's University, Dallas, TX, United States.
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.
JMIR Rehabil Assist Technol. 2019 Jan 14;6(1):e11023. doi: 10.2196/11023.
Robotic exoskeleton devices enable individuals with lower extremity weakness to stand up and walk over ground with full weight-bearing and reciprocal gait. Limited information is available on how a robotic exoskeleton affects gait characteristics.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether wearing a robotic exoskeleton affects temporospatial parameters, kinematics, and muscle activity during gait.
The study was completed by 15 healthy adults (mean age 26.2 [SD 8.3] years; 6 males, 9 females). Each participant performed walking under 2 conditions: with and without wearing a robotic exoskeleton (EKSO). A 10-camera motion analysis system synchronized with 6 force plates and a surface electromyography (EMG) system captured temporospatial and kinematic gait parameters and lower extremity muscle activity. For each condition, data for 5 walking trials were collected and included for analysis.
Differences were observed between the 2 conditions in temporospatial gait parameters of speed, stride length, and double-limb support time. When wearing EKSO, hip and ankle range of motion (ROM) were reduced and knee ROM increased during the stance phase. However, during the swing phase, knee and ankle ROM were reduced when wearing the exoskeleton bionic suit. When wearing EKSO, EMG activity decreased bilaterally in the stance phase for all muscle groups of the lower extremities and in the swing phase for the distal muscle groups (tibialis anterior and soleus) as well as the left medial hamstrings.
Wearing EKSO altered temporospatial gait parameters, lower extremity kinematics, and muscle activity during gait in healthy adults. EKSO appears to promote a type of gait that is disparate from normal gait in first-time users. More research is needed to determine the impact on gait training with EKSO in people with gait impairments.
机器人外骨骼设备能使下肢无力的个体在完全负重和交互步态下站立并在地面行走。关于机器人外骨骼如何影响步态特征的信息有限。
本研究旨在探讨穿戴机器人外骨骼是否会影响步态期间的时空参数、运动学和肌肉活动。
该研究由15名健康成年人（平均年龄26.2[标准差8.3]岁；6名男性，9名女性）完成。每位参与者在两种条件下进行行走：穿戴和不穿戴机器人外骨骼（EKSO）。一个与6个测力台同步的10台摄像机运动分析系统和一个表面肌电图（EMG）系统记录了时空和运动学步态参数以及下肢肌肉活动。对于每种条件，收集并纳入分析5次行走试验的数据。
在速度、步长和双支撑时间等时空步态参数方面，两种条件之间存在差异。穿戴EKSO时，站立期髋关节和踝关节活动范围（ROM）减小，膝关节ROM增加。然而，在摆动期，穿戴外骨骼仿生服时膝关节和踝关节ROM减小。穿戴EKSO时，下肢所有肌肉群在站立期以及远端肌肉群（胫骨前肌和比目鱼肌）以及左侧半腱肌在摆动期的肌电图活动双侧降低。
在健康成年人中，穿戴EKSO会改变步态期间的时空步态参数、下肢运动学和肌肉活动。EKSO似乎促进了一种与首次使用者正常步态不同的步态类型。需要更多研究来确定EKSO对步态障碍患者步态训练的影响。
