Abstract
[Purpose] Hybrid Assistive Limb® (HAL; Cyberdyne, Tsukuba, Japan) is a wearable robot that assists patients based on their voluntary movements. We report gait training with HAL after botulinum toxin treatment for spasticity of the lower limb in cerebral palsy (CP). [Participant and Methods] The participant was a 36 year-old male with spastic diplegia due to periventricular leukomalacia, with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level II. HAL training was performed in 20-minute sessions (3 sessions/week for 4 weeks). The outcome measures were range of motion, spasticity, walking ability, muscle strength, gross motor function measure (GMFM), Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory measured before, immediately after, and one, two, and three months after HAL training. [Results] No adverse events were observed during training. After the HAL intervention, gait speed, step length, cadence, 6-min walking distance (6MD), knee extension strength, GMFM, and COPM increased, and Physiological Cost Index declined. Three months post-intervention, gait speed, step length, cadence, 6MD, and GMFM remained higher than those observed within the first two months. [Conclusion] Gait training with HAL can be a safe and feasible method for patients with CP who undergo botulinum toxin treatment to improve walking ability and motor function.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.