Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33717982›Full record

ReviewJournal of orthopaedic translation2021

Wearable robotic exoskeleton for gait reconstruction in patients with spinal cord injury: A literature review.

Koki Tan, Soichiro Koyama, Hiroaki Sakurai, Toshio Teranishi, Yoshikiyo Kanada, Shigeo Tanabe

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of orthopaedic translation, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
6.8field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 48 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Koki TanGraduate School of Health Sciences, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.
Soichiro KoyamaFaculty of Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.
Hiroaki SakuraiFaculty of Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.
Toshio TeranishiFaculty of Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.
Yoshikiyo KanadaFaculty of Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.
Shigeo TanabeFaculty of Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan.
Fujita Health University · JP

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesWearable robotic exoskeletons (WREs) have been globally developed to achieve gait reconstruction in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The present study aimed to enable evidence-based decision-making in selecting the optimal WRE according to residual motor function and to provide a new perspective on further development of appropriate WREs.

methodsThe current review was conducted by searching PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for relevant studies published from April 2015 to February 2020. Selected studies were analysed with a focus on the participants' neurological level of SCI, amount of training (number of training sessions and duration of the total training period), gait speed and endurance achieved, and subgroup exploration of the number of persons for assistance and the walking aid used among patients with cervical level injury.

resultsA total of 28 articles (nine using Ekso, three using Indego, ten using ReWalk, one using REX, five using Wearable Power-Assist Locomotor) involving 228 patients were included in the analysis. Across all WREs, T6 was the most frequently reported level of SCI. The amount of training showed a wide distribution (number of training sessions: 2-230 sessions [30-120 min per session]; duration of the total training period: 1-24 weeks [1-5 times per week]). The mean gait speed was 0.31 m/s (standard deviation [SD] 0.14), and the mean distance on the 6-min walking test as a measure of endurance was 108.9 m (SD 46.7). The subgroup exploration aimed at patients with cervical level injury indicated that 59.2% of patients were able to ambulate with no physical assistance and several patients used a walker as a walking aid.

conclusionThe number of cervical level injury increased, as compared to the number previously indicated by a prior similar review. Training procedure was largely different among studies. Further improvement based on gait performance is required for use and dissemination in daily life. THE TRANSLATIONAL POTENTIAL OF THIS ARTICLE: The present review reveals the current state of the clinical effectiveness of WREs for gait reconstruction in patients with SCI, contributing to evidence-based device application and further development.

Indexed as

Gait reconstructionParaplegiaTetraplegiaWearable robotic exoskeleton

Identifiers

PMID33717982
PMCPMC7930505
OpenAlexW3135058810

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.