Simulating space walking: a systematic review on anti-gravity technology in neurorehabilitation.

Neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy (CP) and stroke are well-known causes of gait and balance alterations. Innovative devices (i.e., robotics) are often used to promote motor recovery. As an alternative, anti-gravity treadmills, which were developed by NASA, allow early mobilization, walking with less effort to reduce gait energy costs and fatigue. A systematic search, according to PRISMA guidelines, was conducted for all peer-reviewed articles published from January 2010 through September 2023, using the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, PEDro and IEEE Xplore. After an accurate screening, we selected only 16 articles (e.g., 5 RCTs, 2 clinical trials, 7 pilot studies, 1 prospective study and 1 exploratory study). The evidence collected in this systematic review reported promising results in the field of anti-gravity technology for neurological patients, in terms of improvement in gait and balance outcomes. However, we are not able to provide any clinical recommendation about the dose and parameters of anti-gravity treadmill training, because of the lack of robust high-quality RCT studies and large samples. Registration number CRD42023459665.

Smart Cellulose-Based Janus Fabrics with Switchable Liquid Transportation for Personal Moisture and Thermal Management.

The Janus fabrics designed for personal moisture/thermal regulation have garnered significant attention for their potential to enhance human comfort. However, the development of smart and dynamic fabrics capable of managing personal moisture/thermal comfort in response to changing external environments remains a challenge. Herein, a smart cellulose-based Janus fabric was designed to dynamically manage personal moisture/heat. The cotton fabric was grafted with N-isopropylacrylamide to construct a temperature-stimulated transport channel. Subsequently, hydrophobic ethyl cellulose and hydrophilic cellulose nanofiber were sprayed on the bottom and top sides of the fabric to obtain wettability gradient. The fabric exhibits anti-gravity directional liquid transportation from hydrophobic side to hydrophilic side, and can dynamically and continuously control the transportation time in a wide range of 3-66 s as the temperature increases from 10 to 40 °C. This smart fabric can quickly dissipate heat at high temperatures, while at low temperatures, it can slow down the heat dissipation rate and prevent the human from becoming too cold. In addition, the fabric has UV shielding and photodynamic antibacterial properties through depositing graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets on the hydrophilic side. This smart fabric offers an innovative approach to maximizing personal comfort in environments with significant temperature variations.

Research progress on the application of anti-gravity treadmill in the rehabilitation of Parkinson's disease patients: a mini review.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms. It is the second most common chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease. PD still lacks a known cure or prophylactic medication. Current treatments primarily address symptoms without halting the progression of PD, and the side effects of dopaminergic therapy become more apparent over time. In contrast, physical therapy, with its lower risk of side effects and potential cardiovascular benefits, may provide greater benefits to patients. The Anti-Gravity Treadmill is an emerging rehabilitation therapy device with high safety, which minimizes patients' fear and allows them to focus more on a normal, correct gait, and has a promising clinical application. Based on this premise, this study aims to summarize and analyze the relevant studies on the application of the anti-gravity treadmill in PD patients, providing a reference for PD rehabilitation practice and establishing a theoretical basis for future research in this area.

Optimizing Rehabilitation Outcomes for Stroke Survivors: The Impact of Speed and Slope Adjustments in Anti-Gravity Treadmill Training.

Background and Objectives: This study explored the efficacy of customized anti-gravity treadmill (AGT) training, with adjustments in speed and incline, on rehabilitation outcomes for stroke patients, focusing on knee extensor muscle strength, joint angle, balance ability, and activities of daily living (ADLs). Materials and Methods: In this study, 30 individuals diagnosed with a stroke were divided into three groups. Experimental group 1 (EG1) underwent training without changes to speed and incline, experimental group 2 (EG2) received training with an increased incline, and experimental group 3 (EG3) underwent training with increased speed. Initially, all participants received AGT training under uniform conditions for two weeks. Subsequently, from the third to the sixth week, each group underwent their specified training intervention. Evaluations were conducted before the intervention and six weeks post-intervention using a manual muscle strength tester for knee strength, TETRAX for balance ability, Dartfish software for analyzing knee angle, and the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) for assessing activities of daily living. Results: Within-group comparisons revealed that AGT training led to enhancements in muscle strength, balance ability, joint angle, and ADLs across all participant groups. Between-group analyses indicated that EG2, which underwent increased incline training, demonstrated significant improvements in muscle strength and balance ability over EG1. EG3 not only showed significant enhancements in muscle strength, joint angle, and ADLs when compared to EG1 but also surpassed EG2 in terms of knee strength improvement. Conclusions: In conclusion, the application of customized AGT training positively impacts the rehabilitation of stroke patients, underscoring the importance of selecting a treatment method tailored to the specific needs of each patient.

Entrenamiento de la marcha con la cinta rodante antigravitatoria en pacientes con Parkinson / Gait training with the anti-gravity treadmill in Parkinson's patients / Treinamento de marcha com fita rolante antigravitatoria em pacientes com Parkinson

La enfermedad de Parkinson (EP) es una condición neurodegenerativa caracterizada por alteraciones motoras que afectan principalmente el desarrollo de la marcha, produciéndose generalmente el fenómeno del congelamiento de la marcha con la posibilidad del riesgo de caída. Objetivo: Analizar los beneficios del entrenamiento de la marcha con la cinta rodante antigravitatoria en pacientes con EP. Materiales y métodos: Es un estudio pre-experimental con un solo grupo de intervención. Se llevó a cabo el entrenamiento de la marcha a través de una cinta rodante antigravitatoria (AlterG) durante un mes dividido en 2 sesiones por semana. Los parámetros de la marcha arrojados por el equipo AlterG fueron la descarga de peso, cadencia, tiempo de apoyo y longitud del paso; además se valoró el congelamiento de la marcha con el cuestionario (FOGQ) y el riesgo de caída con el test Timed Up and Go (TUG). Resultados: En los parámetros de la marcha y en el FOGQ se encontró diferencias significativas (p<0,05) entre los valores de pre y post intervención, exceptuando a la variable cadencia. El riesgo de caída disminuyó 4,6 y 4,3 segundos promedio en el test TUG en hombres y mujeres respectivamente. Conclusión: El entrenamiento de la marcha en la cinta rodante antigravitatoria mejora las condiciones de la marcha y reduce el riesgo de caídas en pacientes con EP.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by motor alterations that mainly affect the development of gait, generally producing the phenomenon of freezing of gait with the possibility of risk of falling. Objective: To analyze the benefits of gait training with the antigravity treadmill in patients with PD. Materials and methods: It is a pre-experimental study with a single intervention group. Gait training was carried out using an antigravity treadmill (AlterG) for one month divided into 2 sessions per week. The gait parameters returned by the AlterG team were weight unloading, cadence, support time and step length; Furthermore, freezing of gait was assessed with the questionnaire (FOGQ) and the risk of falling with the Timed Up and Go test (TUG). Results: In the gait parameters and in the FOGQ, significant differences (p<0.05) were found between the pre- and post-intervention values, except for the cadence variable. The risk of falling decreased by 4.6 and 4.3 seconds on average in the TUG test in men and women respectively. Conclusion: Antigravity treadmill gait training improves walking conditions and reduces the risk of falls in PD patients.

A doença de Parkinson (DP) é uma condição neurodegenerativa caracterizada por alterações motoras que afetam principalmente o desenvolvimento da marcha, geralmente produzindo o fenômeno de congelamento da marcha com possibilidade de risco de queda. Objetivo: Analisar os benefícios do treino de marcha com esteira antigravitacional em pacientes com DP. Materiais e métodos: Trata-se de um estudo pré-experimental com um único grupo de intervenção. O treinamento de marcha foi realizado em esteira antigravitacional (AlterG) durante um mês dividido em 2 sessões semanais. Os parâmetros de marcha retornados pela equipe AlterG foram descarga de peso, cadência, tempo de apoio e comprimento do passo; Além disso, o congelamento da marcha foi avaliado com o questionário (FOGQ) e o risco de queda com o teste Timed Up and Go (TUG). Resultados: Nos parâmetros da marcha e no FOGQ foram encontradas diferenças significativas (p<0,05) entre os valores pré e pós-intervenção, exceto na variável cadência. O risco de queda diminuiu em média 4,6 e 4,3 segundos no teste TUG em homens e mulheres respectivamente. Conclusão: O treino de marcha em esteira antigravitacional melhora as condições de marcha e reduz o risco de quedas em pacientes com DP.

Effect of anti-gravity treadmill (Alter G) training on gait characteristics and postural stability in adult with healed burns: A single blinded randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Burns constitute one of the foremost contributors to premature mortality and morbidity, and the recovery process from burn injuries is characterized by its intricate and protracted nature. OBJECTIVE: The principal aim of this study was to assess the influence of an anti-gravity treadmill (Alter G) training program on both gait characteristics and postural stability indices (PSI) in adult individuals who have recovered from burns. DESIGN: This study followed a single-blind, randomized, controlled design. METHODS: A total of 45 adults, aged 18-35 years, with healed lower extremity burns that were circumferential and encompassed 35-50% of their total body surface area (TBSA) were randomly allocated to either the anti-gravity treadmill (Alter G) Training group (n = 22) or the traditional physical therapy program (TPTP) group (n=23). The TPTP group received conventional physical therapy, while the anti-gravity treadmill (Alter G) training group engaged in anti-gravity treadmill exercises alongside the traditional physical therapy program. The primary outcome measures, evaluated at both baseline and the conclusion of the 12-week intervention, included gait characteristics assessed using the GAITRite system and PSI measured by the Biodex Balance System (BBS). RESULTS: The anti-gravity treadmill (Alter G) training group exhibited significantly greater enhancements than the TPTP group in terms of mean values and percentage changes in gait characteristics and PSI. Specifically, the percentage changes for the Alter G group were as follows: stride length (20.57%), step time (22.58%), step length (20.47%), velocity (15.67%), cadence (23.28%), and double support time (29.03%). In contrast, the TPTP group's percentage changes were: 6.73%, 8.19%, 7.65%, 7.75%, 8.89%, and 9.37%, respectively. Concerning PSI, the Alter G group exhibited percentage changes of 55.17% for the medio-lateral stability index (MLI), 48.21% for antero-posterior stability index (API), and 48.48% for the overall stability index (OSI). The TPTP group's corresponding percentage changes were 20%, 14.03%, and 16.41%. CONCLUSIONS: The amalgamation of anti-gravity treadmill training with the traditional physical therapy program yields greater efficacy than TPTP in isolation. Consequently, the findings underscore the efficiency of anti-gravity treadmill (Alter G) Training as a valuable tool for rehabilitating patients with burn injuries.

Effects of simulated hypo-gravity on lower limb kinematic and electromyographic variables during anti-gravitational treadmill walking.

Introduction: This study investigated kinematic and EMG changes in gait across simulated gravitational unloading levels between 100% and 20% of normal body weight. This study sought to identify if each level of unloading elicited consistent changes-particular to that percentage of normal body weight-or if the changes seen with unloading could be influenced by the previous level(s) of unloading. Methods: 15 healthy adult participants (26.3 ± 2.5 years; 53% female) walked in an Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill unloading system (mean speed: 1.49 ±0.37 mph) for 1 min each at 100%, 80%, 60%, 40% and 20% of normal body weight, before loading back to 100% in reverse order. Lower-body kinematic data were captured by inertial measurement units, and EMG data were collected from the rectus femoris, biceps femoris, medial gastrocnemius, and anterior tibialis. Data were compared across like levels of load using repeated measures ANOVA and statistical parametric mapping. Difference waveforms for adjacent levels were created to examine the rate of change between different unloading levels. Results: This study found hip, knee, and ankle kinematics as well as activity in the rectus femoris, and medial gastrocnemius were significantly different at the same level of unloading, having arrived from a higher, or lower level of unloading. There were no significant changes in the kinematic difference waveforms, however the waveform representing the change in EMG between 100% and 80% load was significantly different from all other levels. Discussion: This study found that body weight unloading from 100% to 20% elicited distinct responses in the medial gastrocnemius, as well as partly in the rectus femoris. Hip, knee, and ankle kinematics were also affected differentially by loading and unloading, especially at 40% of normal body weight. These findings suggest the previous level of gravitational load is an important factor to consider in determining kinematic and EMG responses to the current level during loading and unloading below standard g. Similarly, the rate of change in kinematics from 100% to 20% appears to be linear, while the rate of change in EMG was non-linear. This is of particular interest, as it suggests that kinematic and EMG measures decouple with unloading and may react to unloading uniquely.

Subaqueous 3D stem cell spheroid levitation culture using anti-gravity bioreactor based on sound wave superposition.

BACKGROUND: Recently, various studies have revealed that 3D cell spheroids have several advantages over 2D cells in stem cell culture. However, conventional 3D spheroid culture methods have some disadvantages and limitations such as time required for spheroid formation and complexity of the experimental process. Here, we used acoustic levitation as cell culture platform to overcome the limitation of conventional 3D culture methods. METHODS: In our anti-gravity bioreactor, continuous standing sonic waves created pressure field for 3D culture of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). hMSCs were trapped and aggerated in pressure field and consequently formed spheroids. The structure, viability, gene and protein expression of spheroids formed in the anti-gravity bioreactor were analyzed by electron microscope, immunostaining, polymerase chain reaction, and western blot. We injected hMSC spheroids fabricated by anti-gravity bioreactor into the mouse hindlimb ischemia model. Limb salvage was quantified to evaluate therapeutic efficacy of hMSC spheroids. RESULTS: The acoustic levitation in anti-gravity bioreactor made spheroids faster and more compact compared to the conventional hanging drop method, which resulted in the upregulation of angiogenic paracrine factors of hMSCs, such as vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin 2. Injected hMSCs spheroids cultured in the anti-gravity bioreactor exhibited improved therapeutic efficacy, including the degree of limb salvage, capillary formation, and attenuation of fibrosis and inflammation, for mouse hindlimb ischemia model compared to spheroids formed by the conventional hanging drop method. CONCLUSION: Our stem cell culture system using acoustic levitation will be proposed as a new platform for the future 3D cell culture system.

Tri-axial loading response to anti-gravity running highlights movement strategy compensations during knee injury rehabilitation of a professional soccer player.

Anti-gravity treadmills have been used in rehabilitation to manipulate exposure to loading and to prescribe return to outside running. Analysis is typically restricted to the vertical plane, but tri-axial accelerometry facilitates multi-planar analysis with relevance to injury mechanism. In this case a professional male soccer player, 4 weeks post-operative surgery to repair a medial meniscectomy, 8 months after Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction to the same knee, completed anti-gravity treadmill running at 70-95% bodyweight (BW) at 5% increments. Tri-axial accelerometers were placed proximal to the Achilles tendon of the injured and healthy leg, and at C7. The planar acceleration at touchdown highlighted an increase at 85% BW, identifying 70% and 85% BW as discrete loading progressions. C7 (3.21 ± 0.68 m·s-2) elicited lower (P < 0.001) vertical acceleration than the lower limb (9.31 ± 1.82 m·s-2), with no difference between limbs suggesting bilateral symmetry. However, in the medio-lateral plane the affected limb (-0.15 ± 1.82 m·s-2) was exposed to lower (P = 0.001) medio-lateral acceleration than the non-affected limb (2.92 ± 1.35 m·s-2) at touchdown, indicative of bilateral asymmetry. PlayerLoad during foot contact was sensitive to accelerometer location, with the affected limb exposed to greater loading in all planes (P ≤ 0.082), exacerbated at 90-95% BW. Tri-axial accelerometry provides a means of assessing multi-planar loading during rehabilitation, enhancing objective progression.

Influence of Reduced-Gravity Treadmill Running on Sensor-Derived Biomechanics.

BACKGROUND: Reduced gravity treadmills have become increasingly prevalent in clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of manipulated levels of bodyweight during reduced gravity treadmill running on sensor-derived spatiotemporal, kinematic, and kinetic measures. HYPOTHESES: Reduced gravity conditions would result in significantly altered biomechanical measures compared with 100% gravity conditions, with the most pronounced effects anticipated in the 20% condition. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional clinic-based study. METHODS: A total of 16 runners (8 male [M; age, 28.88 ± 5.69 years; body mass index [BMI], 25.08 ± 3.74 kg/m2], 8 female [F; age, 28.75 ± 5.23 years, BMI, 21.05 ± 3.46 kg/m2]) participated in this study. Participants wore commercially available sensors on their shoelaces and ran in a reduced gravity treadmill at a self-selected pace for 5 minutes each at 100%, 80%, 60%, 40%, and 20% bodyweight in a randomized order. The pace remained constant across all conditions, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was obtained following each condition. Step-by-step spatiotemporal, kinematic, and kinetic metrics were extracted to calculate mean outcome measures for each bodyweight condition. Repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted to assess the influence of the different bodyweight reduction levels on RPE and runners' biomechanics. RESULTS: Higher pressure creating lower bodyweight conditions resulted in significantly increased stride length and decreased cadence, contact time, impact g, and RPE, along with a shift toward forefoot strike types compared with higher body weight conditions (P < 0.01). All other outcomes were comparable across conditions. CONCLUSION: Reduced bodyweight running significantly altered spatiotemporal measures and reduced the vertical component of loading. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our findings offer objective information on expected biomechanical changes across pressure levels that clinicians should consider when incorporating reduced gravity treadmill running into rehabilitation plans.

Stress Injuries in the Athlete.

Stress fractures are a common injury that present in athletes because of the high intensity and repetitive nature of many sports. These injuries require a high index of suspicion in the treating clinician to allow for timely management. Though most low-risk fractures heal well with conservative management, high-risk stress fractures as well as any fracture in the elite athlete may warrant surgical intervention as well as an augmented treatment and rehabilitation regimen.

Comparison of the effectiveness of anti-gravity treadmill exercises and underwater walking exercises on cardiorespiratory fitness, functional capacity and balance in stroke patients.

INTRODUCTION: Aerobic exercise training after stroke has positive effects on quality of life, motor recovery, and aerobic endurance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of anti-gravity treadmill gait training and underwater walking therapy on cardiorespiratory fitness, gait and balance in stroke survivors. METHODS: The study included 39 patients with a history of stroke who were admitted to our center between July 2017 and January 2018. The patients were randomly assigned to anti-gravity treadmill training, underwater walking therapy, or a control group. The aerobic capacity of the participants was evaluated with the 6-min walk test and cycle ergometer testing before and after the treatment. Balance was examined using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase from pre- to post-treatment with regard to maximum heart rate and length of walking distance during 6-min walk test parameters in patients who underwent anti-gravity treadmill training (p < 0.05). The cycle ergometer training results showed significant improvements compared to baseline after treatment in patients who underwent anti-gravity training in terms of maximum heart rate attained during exercise stress testing, time to complete the test, rates of metabolic equivalents of task scores and peak oxygen consumption (p < 0.05). Improvements were also observed in ventricular repolarization indices including corrected QT intervals (QTc), Tp-e interval and Tp-e/QT, Tp-e/QTc ratio in the anti-gravity group (p < 0.05). BBS results showed no statistically significant difference in all groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The data of this study showed that anti-gravity treadmill training has favorable effects on cardiorespiratory fitness in stroke survivors.

Effect of Antigravity Treadmill Gait Training on Gait Function and Fall Risk in Stroke Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of antigravity treadmill gait training (AGT) on gait function, balance, and fall risk in stroke patients. METHODS: This study included 30 patients with stroke (mean age, 73 years). All subjects were randomly divided into two groups. The intervention group (n=15) performed AGT for 20 minutes, five times per week for 4 weeks. The control group (n=15) received conventional gait training for the same duration. To assess fall risk, the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) was measured. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), and 10-m walk test (10mWT) were measured to assess dynamic balance. All scales were measured before intervention (T0) and at 4 weeks (T1) and 12 weeks (T2) after intervention. RESULTS: Results showed that the total POMA score, BBS, and 10mWT scores improved significantly (p<0.05) at T1 and T2 in both groups. The POMA gait score (4.20±1.37 at T1, 4.87±1.36 at T2) and TUG (4.52±4.30 at T1, 5.73±4.97 at T2) significantly improved (p<0.05) only in the intervention group. The changes in total POMA score and BBS of the intervention group (7.20±2.37, 7.47±3.07) improved more significantly (p<0.05) between T0 and T2 than the control group (2.53±2.10, 2.87±2.53). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that AGT enhances dynamic balance and gait speed and effectively lowers fall risk in stroke patients. Compared to conventional gait therapy, AGT would improve gait function and balance in stroke patients more effectively.

Role of Antigravity Training in Rehabilitation and Return to Sport After Running Injuries.

Anti-gravity treadmill training is a therapeutic option to help recovering runners return to activity after injury. This current concept paper provides a synopsis of the latest evidence of the biomechanical and metabolic changes that occur with body weight support (BWS) treadmill training, effects of antigravity treadmill training on clinical outcomes and clinical case studies in injured runners. Literature searches identified studies with descriptive, experimental and interventional designs and case studies that examined acute and chronic use of antigravity treadmills in runners and relevant populations. Laboratory-based studies were included to provide technical considerations for rehabilitation programming. Antigravity treadmills use causes reductions in cadence, ground reaction forces (GRF), GRF impulses, knee and ankle range of motion, and vertical stiffness, with elevations in stride duration, flight time, ground contact time, and plantarflexion. Antigravity treadmills appear useful across a spectrum of injuries in runners, including postsurgical repair of osteochondral defect, stress reactions (medial tibia, pelvis), and lumbar disc herniation. Runners may preserve aerobic fitness, muscle activation patterns, and muscle mass during recovery compared to traditional rehabilitation protocols. Technical considerations for accurate loading include treadmill frame adjustment to appropriate height to ensure accuracy of level of BWS while running, and monitoring for fast cadence to ensure impact loading rates remain low. Speed or grade can be increased to maintain metabolic demand and fitness while minimizing bone and tissue loading. Monitoring for symptom provocation will guide protocol adjustments to BWS and prescriptions. Once able to run pain-free (sustained or interval) >95% BWS for >30 min, the runner is likely ready to safely transition to ground running. Antigravity treadmill training can be considered when available to facilitate smooth transition back to ground running in a conditioned state.

Effect of Antigravity Treadmill Training on Gait and Balance in Patients with Diabetic Polyneuropathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is the most prevalent consequence of diabetes mellitus, and it has a significant impact on the patient's health. This study aims to evaluate effects of antigravity treadmill training on gait and balance in patients with DPN. Methods: The study included 45 males with type 2 diabetes who were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the experimental group (n=23) or the control group (n=22). For a period of 12 weeks, the experimental group received antigravity treadmill training (75% weight bearing, 30 min per session, three times per week) combined with traditional physical therapy. During the same time period, the control group received only traditional physical therapy. The Biodex Balance System was used to assess postural stability indices, while the GAITRite Walkway System was used to assess spatiotemporal gait parameters. All measurements were obtained before and at the end of the study after 12 weeks of treatment. Results: The mean values of all measured variables improved significantly in both groups (P<0.05), with the experimental group showing significantly greater improvements than the control group. The post-treatment gait parameters ( i.e., step length, step time, double support time, velocity, and cadence) were 61.3 cm, 0.49 sec, 0.25 sec, 83.09 cm/sec, and 99.78 steps/min as well as 56.14 cm, 0.55 sec, 0.29 sec, 75.73 cm/sec, and 88.14 steps/min for the experimental and control group, respectively. The post-treatment overall stability index was 0.32 and 0.70 for the experimental and control group, respectively. Conclusions: Antigravity treadmill training in combination with traditional physical therapy appears to be superior to traditional physical therapy alone in terms of gait and balance training. As a result, the antigravity treadmill has been found to be an effective device for the rehabilitation of DPN patients.

Anti-gravity treadmill rehabilitation improves gait and muscle atrophy in patients with surgically treated ankle and tibial plateau fractures after one year: A randomised clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the one-year postoperative outcomes of anti-gravity treadmill rehabilitation with those of standard rehabilitation in patients with ankle or tibial plateau fractures. DESIGN: An open-label prospective randomised study. SETTING: Three trauma centres. SUBJECTS: Patients were randomised into the intervention (anti-gravity treadmill) or control (standard protocol) rehabilitation group. MAIN MEASURES: The primary endpoint was changes in the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score for ankle fractures and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for tibial plateau fractures from baseline to 12 months after operation. Secondary endpoints were the subscores of these scores, muscle atrophy (leg circumference at 20 cm above and 10 cm below the knee joint) and the Dynamic Gait Index. RESULTS: Initially, 73 patients (37 vs 36) underwent randomisation. After 12 months, 29 patients in the intervention group and 24 patients in the control group could be analysed. No significant difference was noted in the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (80.8 ± 18.4 and 78.4 ± 21.1) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (84.8 ± 15.2 and 81.7 ± 17.0). The change in the Dynamic Gait Index from 12 weeks to 12 months differed significantly between the groups (P = 0.04). Patients with tibial plateau fractures had a 3 cm wider thigh circumference in the intervention group than those in the control group (95% confidence interval: -0.2 to 6.3 cm, P = 0.08). CONCLUSION: One year after surgery, patients who had undergone anti-gravity treadmill rehabilitation showed better gait than patients in the control group, and those with tibial plateau fractures had less muscle atrophy.

Training on a Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill with Body Weight Support does not Improve Aerobic Capacity.

This study examined the physiological changes resulting from training on a lower body positive pressure treadmill (LBPPT) at three different levels of body weight support (BWS). Thirty-three healthy college aged students (22.3 ± 3.1 years) completed the study. Participants performed a graded exercise test (GXT) to exhaustion and were placed into one of three experimental groups corresponding to 100%, 75%, and 50% of their normal BW. Participants trained at their experimental BW levels for eight-weeks. Training speed was monitored by heart rate (HR) and speed was adjusted to elicit approximately 60% of participant's peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak) at normal BW prior to including body weight support (BWS). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the change in aerobic capacity. The 100% BW group improved their relative V̇O2peak (1.42 ± 1.52 ml · min-1 · kg-1) when compared to the 50% BW group (-0.87 ± 2.20 ml · min-1 · kg-1 [p = .022]) but not the 75% BW group (-0.16 ± 1.92 ml · min-1 · kg-1, [p = .14]). Furthermore, no statistical differences in V̇O2peak were observed between the 75% and 50% BW groups (p = .66). Based on this study, training at 75% and 50% of normal BW on a LBPPT does not improve aerobic capacity compared to training with no BWS when using training speeds derived from a GXT with full BW. The outcome of this study may help to prescribe training speeds while utilizing a LBPPT to maintain or improve aerobic capacity.

Use of Pressure-Measuring Insoles to Characterize Gait Parameters in Simulated Reduced-Gravity Conditions.

Prior researchers have observed the effect of simulated reduced-gravity exercise. However, the extent to which lower-body positive-pressure treadmill (LBPPT) walking alters kinematic gait characteristics is not well understood. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of LBPPT walking on selected gait parameters in simulated reduced-gravity conditions. Twenty-nine college-aged volunteers participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants wore pressure-measuring insoles (Medilogic GmBH, Schönefeld, Germany) and completed three 3.5-min walking trials on the LBPPT (AlterG, Inc., Fremont, CA, USA) at 100% (normal gravity) as well as reduced-gravity conditions of 40% and 20% body weight (BW). The resulting insole data were analyzed to calculate center of pressure (COP) variables: COP path length and width and stance time. The results showed that 100% BW condition was significantly different from both the 40% and 20% BW conditions, p < 0.05. There were no significant differences observed between the 40% and 20% BW conditions for COP path length and width. Conversely, stance time significantly differed between the 40% and 20% BW conditions. The findings of this study may prove beneficial for clinicians as they develop rehabilitation strategies to effectively unload the individual's body weight to perform safe exercises.

Real-time assessment of global and regional lung ventilation in the anti-gravity straining maneuver using electrical impedance tomography.

OBJECTIVE: Anti-gravity straining maneuver (AGSM) helps to reduce the occurrence of gravity-induced visual disturbances and loss of consciousness. An objective assessment of the AGSM is still missing during ground training. This study evaluated the feasibility of using electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to assess the performance of AGSM. METHODS: Eight undergraduates and eight teachers majoring in aerospace medicine were included in the study. An experienced professor from the department of aerospace medicine reviewed the key points of AGSM with each subject. EIT measurement was performed during AGSM. The global and regional ventilation were used to investigate the characteristics of AGSM. The professor and the subjects rated the performance of AGSM according to the maneuver requirements of AGSM (maximum 16 points) before and after reviewing the ventilations from EIT. RESULTS: For global ventilation, the relative depth of gas exchange and duration of exhalation of the teachers were larger than those of the students (p < 0.01), and stability of the teachers was better as well (p < 0.001). No difference in the duration of gas exchange and leakage during exhalation between the teachers and the students was found. For regional ventilation, the teachers had significantly increased ventral ventilation during AGSM implementation (p < 0.001) whereas students did otherwise. Additionally, the differences of rating scores with and without EIT were also significant. Significant reductions were found in rating scores with EIT assessed by the professor (4.5 ± 2.0, p < 0.001) and by the students themselves (3.9 ± 2.2, p < 0.001). The scores were systematically higher when the students rated themselves compared with the professor's rating (p < 0.001 for both with and without EIT). CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrated that EIT could objectively characterize the maneuver details of AGSM, which might provide a potential tool for real-time assessment of AGSM quality in an objective manner.

A combined structural and wettability gradient surface for directional droplet transport and efficient fog collection.

HYPOTHESIS: The droplet manipulation behavior is affected by chemical structural driving force (including the superposition of electric, magnetic, optical and thermal fields), which directly determine transportation velocity. A lot of research has focused on a single driving force that induces the directional transportation behavior, which affects its performance. EXPERIMENTS: A simple method for preparing wettability gradient conical copper needles (WGCCN) combining structural gradient and chemical gradient was formulated. The effect of droplet volume and tilt angles on droplet transport velocity was systematically studied. The process of droplet transport was revealed through theoretical model and mechanical analysis. Finally, the application of WGCCN and its array model in fog collection were explored. FINDINGS: A continuous chemical gradient in the conical structure gradient induces the droplet directional transportation, and the transportation velocity depends on the droplet volume. In addition, under the cooperation effect of multiple driving force, the droplet can still be transported in a directional orientation even if it is tilted at a certain angle. The simple droplet manipulation behavior portends that the droplets directional transport behavior can be applied in microfluidic manipulation by cooperation of effective multiple driving force with satisfactory results.