Ikuko Fuse, MD, Satoshi Hirano, MD, DMSc, Eiichi Saitoh, MD, DMSc, Yohei Otaka, MD, PhD, Shigeo Tanabe, RPT, PhD, Masaki Katoh, RPT, Takeshi Gotoh, RPT,
Sho Tsunogai, RPT, Ayaka Kumagai, RPT, Tetsuya Tsunoda, MD, DMSc, Soichiro Koyama, RPT, PhD
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 10: 88-95, 2019
Objective: We evaluated the gait ability of patients
with cervical spinal cord injury using the Wearable
Power-Assist Locomotor (WPAL) and compared the
ability with when they used an orthosis.
Methods: Five patients with cervical spinal cord
injury were instructed to walk while wearing an
orthosis or WPAL. Functional Ambulation Categories
(FAC) score, continuous walking time and distance,
subjective exercise intensity, upper limb fatigue, and
Physiological Cost Index (PCI) during a 3-minute
walk were evaluated. Each index was compared
between the conditions of wearing an orthosis and
using WPAL.
Results: Among the 5 patients, 3 showed higher FAC
scores when walking using WPAL than when walking
with an orthosis, while the other 2 patients showed no
difference. In addition, 3 patients were capable of
independent gait. The continuous walking distance
was significantly longer when using WPAL than when
using an orthosis (p < 0.05). Walking speed, stride
length, and cadence were greater when using WPAL in
all patients, and PCI was lower when using WPAL in
all patients.
Conclusion: Compared with an orthosis, WPAL is
useful for achieving gait reconstruction in patients
with cervical spinal cord injury.
Key words: cervical spinal cord injury, quadriplegia, robot, orthosis, gait reconstruction