Martina Franz
Papers
1
Total Citations
19
H-Index
1
About
Dr. Martina Franz is a leading researcher in neurorehabilitation and locomotor biomechanics, with a primary focus on restoring walking function after spinal cord injury. Her work centers on understanding how body weight support (BWS) systems—particularly those integrated into emerging robotic devices—alter gait patterns in individuals with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). In her highly cited 2018 study, Franz demonstrated that overground walking with BWS produces distinct, patient-specific responses, challenging the assumption that unloading uniformly improves gait. This finding has critical implications for designing more effective, task-specific rehabilitation protocols. Her research bridges the gap between clinical practice and engineering, helping to refine robotic exoskeletons and BWS technologies for real-world walking environments. With 19 citations on this seminal paper alone, Franz’s work is shaping how therapists prescribe and adjust BWS during overground gait training, moving beyond traditional treadmill-based approaches. Her contributions are essential for anyone developing personalized locomotor therapies for neurological injury.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
- 1