Application of a Paraplegic Gait Orthosis in Thoracolumbar Spinal Cord Injury

Overview

Journal Neural Regen Res

Date 2017 Feb 16

PMID 28197198

Citations 1

Authors

Lang Shuai

Guo-Hua Yu

Zhen Feng

Wan-Song Wang

Wei-Ming Sun

Lu Zhou

Yin Yan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Paraplegic gait orthosis has been shown to help paraplegic patients stand and walk, although this method cannot be individualized for patients with different spinal cord injuries and functional recovery of the lower extremities. There is, however, a great need to develop individualized paraplegic orthosis to improve overall quality of life for paraplegic patients. In the present study, 36 spinal cord (below T4) injury patients were equally and randomly divided into control and observation groups. The control group received systematic rehabilitation training, including maintenance of joint range of motion, residual muscle strength training, standing training, balance training, and functional electrical stimulation. The observation group received an individualized paraplegic locomotion brace and functional training according to the various spinal cord injury levels and muscle strength based on comprehensive systematic rehabilitation training. After 3 months of rehabilitation training, the observation group achieved therapeutic locomotion in 8 cases, family-based locomotion in 7 cases, and community-based locomotion in 3 cases. However, locomotion was not achieved in any of the control group patients. These findings suggest that individualized paraplegic braces significantly improve activity of daily living and locomotion in patients with thoracolumbar spinal cord injury.

Citing Articles

Impact of orthotic therapy for improving activities of daily living in individuals with spinal cord injury: a retrospective cohort study.

Hada T, Momosaki R, Abo M Spinal Cord. 2018; 56(8):790-795.

PMID: 29515213 DOI: 10.1038/s41393-018-0088-9.

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