Leg Stretching Using a Controllable Wearable Exoskeleton on Demand for People With Spasticity
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
The purpose of this research study is to develop a protocol using a fully wearable, portable lower-limb exoskeleton for improving leg and walking function in people with movement disorders. The study investigates the effects of wearing the device during a set of experiments including leg stretching, treadmill walking and overground walking in muscle activity, joint motion, and gait performance. The goal is to develop an effective lower-limb strategy to restore lost leg function (e.g., range of motion) and gait ability, and improve quality of life in people with movement deficits following a neurological disorder.
Description
People with neurological conditions, including individuals with upper motor neuron injury, experience motor and sensory deficits, muscle weakness, limited range of motion, low weight-bearing capacity, and impaired balance that limit ambulation and interfere with the ability to perform activities of daily living. Lower-limb rehabilitation robots can assist with physical therapy and alleviate the burden of caregivers and nurses. Thus, the goal of this project is to develop wearable and portable technology to assist leg motion and stretching, and correspondingly activate muscles in people with ne…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Veteran individuals with spasticity due to spinal cord injury (SCI) at least 6 months post SCI * Capable of providing informed consent and reporting age, gender, and neurological condition * Neurologically stable (\>6 months post-SCI) and can wear the device and the sensors, provide written informed consent, and follow instruction Exclusion Criteria: * Participants should not experience another neurological disorder except their primary diagnosed neurological condition (spinal cord injury) * Participants should not be pregnant * Participants should weigh less than 300…
Interventions
- DeviceWearable Robotic Exoskeleton
* Participant preparation, placement of wearable sensors and monitoring, and wearable device fitting. * Lower-limb joint rotations and leg stretching protocol (40-60 minutes). The wearable exoskeleton and its control algorithm are evaluated to rotate leg joints and apply stretching similarly to the forces applied by nurses and caregivers when providing manual forces. Joint rotation and limb stretching is conducted while participants sit down (e.g., in a wheelchair, on a chair, on one side of a bed, or on a clinical mat) or lay down on a bed/mat. The protocol involves ankle plantarflexion and dorsiflexion, knee extension, hip flexion with the knee flexed, and toe flexion and extension (bilaterally) assisted by the exoskeleton, and each movement is repeated at a low-to-moderate rate of 10-30 cycles/minute. * Treadmilll and Overground Walking (60-90 minutes including rest periods) * Cool down (5-10 minutes)
Location
- Syracuse VA Medical Center, Syracuse, NYSyracuse, New York