Development of a pediatric lower-extremity gait system

Abstract

Nationally, approximately 150,000 0-15 year-old children have moderate to severe mobility limitations due to cerebral palsy (CP), spina bifida, perinatal stroke and spinal cord injuries. Many of these children are limited in the amount of school-related and play activities in which they can participate. Mobility disorders have also been linked to increased blood pressure, shorter life expectancy, social stigma, increased rates of depression and an overall decrease in quality of life (Parent, 2011). Among the mobility affecting disorders listed, CP is the most frequently occurring (2 per 1,000 live births) and can carry a significant socioeconomic burden. CDC estimates gauged the lifetime cost associated with care for a person with CP at one million dollars and the combined cost of care for people born in the US in the year 2000 at 11.5 billion dollars. Robotic assisted gait therapy has the potential to significantly impact the health, social interactions and overall development of children with lower limb motor control deficiencies. While powered, lower limb exoskeletons for gait training and rehabilitation are currently available for adults, the tools for children are limited to treadmill or paddle-based systems that are primarily constrained to clinical settings due to their large size. Thus, this project seeks to develop a custom, pediatric powered exoskeleton for young children.