Effects of lower limb exoskeleton robot gait training on balance function in children with spastic diplegia / 中国康复医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the effect of lower limb exoskeleton robots on balance function in children with spas-tic diplegia. Method:Twenty children with spastic diplegia who were admitted to the Department of Rehabilitation of the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from July 2022 to December 2022 were includ-ed in the treatment group.The other 20 children matched with age,gender and functional status were includ-ed in the control group.Both groups were given conventional rehabilitation training(exercise therapy,suspen-sion training,isokinetic muscle strength training),and the treatment group were received the 30-min lower limb exoskeleton robot training 5 times a week for 8 weeks.Before and after treatment,the two groups were tested with surface electromyography(sEMG)data,dynamic balance response displacement,static balance score,and Pediatric Balance Scale(PBS). Result:Before treatment,there was no statistically significant difference(P＞0.05)in sEMG values(gluteus maximus,gluteus medius,quadriceps femoris and tibialis anterior muscle),dynamic balance reaction displace-ment,static balance score,and PBS score between the two groups.There were significant improvements in the scores of these measurements(P＜0.05)in both group before and after treatment.Compared with the con-trol group,there were statistically significant differences in sEMG values(gluteus maximus P=0.021;gluteus medius P=0.016;quadriceps femoris P=0.004),dynamic balance reaction displacement(anterior P=0.014;left P=0.003;right P=0.003),static balance score(P=0.005),and PBS score(P=0.004)in the treatment group af-ter treatment. Conclusion:Lower limb exoskeleton robot gait training combined with conventional rehabilitation treatment can effectively improve the balance function of cerebral palsy children with spastic diplegia.