Effects of an exoskeleton rehabilitation robot on the lower limb motor function of children with spastic cerebral palsy / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe any effect of using the KidGo exoskeleton rehabilitation robot on the lower limb motor function of children with spastic cerebral palsy.Methods:Thirty children with spastic cerebral palsy were sorted at random into a control group and a robotics group, each of 15. Both groups received conventional rehabilitation 5 days a week for 12 weeks, but the robotics group also spent 30 minutes daily training with the KidGo exoskeleton robot. Before and after the intervention, the lower limb muscle tone and strength, gross motor function, balance, and functional independence of both groups were assessed using surface electromyography, a handheld muscle strength tester, the gross motor function measure, the Berg Balance Scale, and the Wee-functional independence measure.Results:After the intervention great improvements in average lower limb muscle tone and strength, gross motor function, balance, and functional independence were observed in both groups, but the improvements in the robotics group were significantly greater, on average.Conclusion:Supplementing conventional rehabilitation with training using the KidGo exoskeleton rehabilitation robot can better improve muscle tone, strength, gross motor functioning, balance, and the functional independence of children with spastic cerebral palsy.