Influence of the intelligent standing mobile robot on lower extremity physiology of complete spinal cord injury patients

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a high rate of disability. In order to improve the quality of their lives, the application of robots in rehabilitation is increasing. However, few studies have assessed the applicability and the effect of robots in patients with complete injury. The current study aims to assess the efficacy of robots training on the lower extremity physiology in complete SCI patients. 24 patients were recruited and randomly divided into experimental and control group. The two groups spent the same amount of time on regular training. Besides, a 1-h standing training twice daily was offered to both groups five days per week, for four weeks. The experimental group used robot for standing training, while the control group used standing frame. Before and after the experiment, muscle girth and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured as lower extremity physiology. The experimental group showed increased muscle girth differences (left ​= ​0.08 ​± ​0.40 ​cm, right ​= ​0.75 ​± ​0.72 ​cm), while the control group showed decreased girth differences (left ​= ​−0.78 ​± ​0.54 ​cm, right ​= ​−0.56 ​± ​0.54 ​cm). The increases in the experimental group showed significant differences compared with the control group (left, P ​= ​0.0002; right, P ​= ​0.023). Both groups showed decreased BMD. The decreases in the experimental group were significantly smaller than those in the control group. Training with aid of robots combined with the regular rehabilitation treatment can benefit complete SCI patients, in aspect of postponing amyotrophy of lower extremities and reducing bone loss and osteoporosis.