ArticleJournal of rehabilitation medicine2024
Upper limb muscle strength and wheelchair-related abilities following an exoskeleton-assisted walking programme in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury: An exploratory study.
Article in Journal of rehabilitation medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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6 authors.
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Abstract
objectivesTo measure the potential effects of an overground exoskeleton-assisted walking programme on upper limb strength and mass, as well as on wheelchair propulsion performances and abilities in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury.
designProspective, single-group, pre-post intervention study.
participantsTen individuals with chronic (≥ 18 months) spinal cord injury who use a wheelchair as their primary mode of locomotion and who had little-to-no motor function in the lower limbs.
methodsIndividuals completed a progressive 16-week exoskeleton-assisted walking programme (34 × 1-h sessions, 1-3 sessions/week). Upper limb muscle strength was measured with dynamometers (isokinetic, Jamar). Upper limb lean mass (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) was used to calculate relative strength. Field tests (20-m wheelchair propulsion, and slalom test) and the Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire determined performances and abilities. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used with the following criteria: p < 0.1, effect size ≥ 0.5, and relative variation > 5%.
resultsOnly natural velocity during the 20-m wheelchair propulsion test (i.e., fundamental wheelchair ability) changed following the intervention (p = 0.01, effect size = 0.82, relative variation = +14.5%).
conclusionOverall, upper limb muscle function did not significantly and meaningfully change following the exoskeleton-assisted walking programme in this population. Additional research is needed to verify how changes in training volume would affect strength and advanced wheelchair-related abilities and performance, as well as the response in individuals who are deconditioned or novices to wheelchair use (e.g., subacute spinal cord injury).
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