Bowersock Collin D, Lerner Zachary F
Department of Mechanical EngineeringNorthern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ 86011 USA.
College of Medicine-PhoenixUniversity of Arizona Phoenix AZ 85721 USA.
IEEE Open J Eng Med Biol. 2024 Oct 8;6:75-81. doi: 10.1109/OJEMB.2024.3475911. eCollection 2025.
This pilot study investigated the feasibility and efficacy of using autonomous ankle exoskeletons in community settings among individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). Five participants completed two structured community walking protocols: a week-long ankle exoskeleton acclimation and training intervention, and a dose-matched Sham intervention of unassisted walking. Results demonstrated significant improvements in acclimatized walking performance with the ankle exoskeleton, including increased speed and stride length. Participants also reported increased enjoyment and perceived benefits of using the exoskeleton. While ankle exoskeleton training did not lead to significant improvements in unassisted walking, this study demonstrates the feasibility of using ankle exoskeletons in the real world by people with CP. This study highlights the potential of wearable exoskeletons to augment community walking performance in CP, laying a foundation for further exploration in real-world environments.
这项初步研究调查了在社区环境中，为脑瘫（CP）患者使用自主式脚踝外骨骼的可行性和有效性。五名参与者完成了两项结构化的社区行走方案：为期一周的脚踝外骨骼适应和训练干预，以及与无辅助行走剂量匹配的假干预。结果表明，使用脚踝外骨骼后，适应行走能力有显著改善，包括速度和步幅增加。参与者还报告说，使用外骨骼的乐趣和感知益处有所增加。虽然脚踝外骨骼训练并未使无辅助行走能力得到显著改善，但这项研究证明了CP患者在现实世界中使用脚踝外骨骼的可行性。本研究突出了可穿戴外骨骼增强CP患者社区行走能力的潜力，为在现实环境中的进一步探索奠定了基础。
