title: Efficacy of a hybrid assistive limb in post-stroke hemiplegic patients: a preliminary report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Robotic devices are expected to be widely used in various applications including support for the independent mobility of the elderly with muscle weakness and people with impaired motor function as well as support for nursing care that involves heavy laborious work. We evaluated the effects of a hybrid assistive limb robot suit on the gait of stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group comprised 16 stroke patients with severe hemiplegia. All patients underwent gait training. Four patients required assistance, and 12 needed supervision while walking. The stride length, walking speed and physiological cost index on wearing the hybrid assistive limb suit and a knee-ankle-foot orthosis were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hybrid assistive limb suit increased the stride length and walking speed in 4 of 16 patients. The patients whose walking speed decreased on wearing the hybrid assistive limb suit either had not received sufficient gait training or had an established gait pattern with a knee-ankle-foot orthosis using a quad cane. The physiological cost index increased after wearing the hybrid assistive limb suit in 12 patients, but removal of the suit led to a decrease in the physiological cost index values to equivalent levels prior to the use of the suit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the hybrid assistive limb suit is not useful for all hemiplegic patients, it may increase the walking speed and affect the walking ability. Further investigation would clarify its indication for the possibility of gait training.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Medicine, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan. maeshima@saitama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maeshima
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osawa
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Yoshitake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kigawa
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sankai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012656:Self-Help Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data