Indego Exoskeleton in Gait Rehabilitation – User Experiences and effects on Functioning

INDEGO EXOSKELETON IN GAIT REHABILITATION – USER EXPERIENCES AND EFFECTS ON FUNCTIONING

Jyräkoski, Taina

Master’s Degree Programme in Rehabilitation | May 2020 Supervisors: Kärki, Anne Sallinen, Merja Number of pages 7 | Appendices 10

Keywords: exoskeleton device, gait training, neurological rehabilitation, user experience, stroke, traumatic brain injury

In recent years, technology in gait rehabilitation has developed and the use of wearable powered lower limb exoskeletons has increased. Exoskeletons have demonstrated positive clinical outcomes in rehabilitation and have been proven to be safe for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and stroke.

This research was divided into two studies. The objective of the first study was to investigate physiotherapists’ user experiences. In second study the objectives were to describe how rehabilitees learn to use the device and study what effects can be gained through exoskeleton assisted walking training, and to study the rehabilitees’ user experiences.

In the first study, the survey of physiotherapists’ user experiences was utilized to determine usability and feasibility of exoskeleton use within the clinical environment. Physiotherapists in Finnish rehabilitation centers already using the exoskeleton answered a web-survey (August 2019). Responses of the six physiotherapists were then analysed by triangulation from qualitative and quantitative questions.

The second study involved a pre-experimental, one group, pre-test post-test study with five participants. Participants were neurological rehabilitees suffering from hemiparesis due to stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI) from the Satakunta region. They participated in an eight-week exoskeleton training intervention, involving 60-minute training sessions twice a week in autumn 2019.

Rehabilitees learnt to walk using the device with the assistance of 2-3 therapists within two sessions and progressed individually. Overall three rehabilitees experienced positive gains in their 10m walk test (10MWT), and four rehabilitees improved their 6min walk test (6MWT) results. The rehabilitees felt that the device was comfortable and safe to use and exercise with.

Based on the findings, Indego exoskeleton may be beneficial to gait rehabilitation with chronic neurological rehabilitees. Both, physiotherapists and rehabilitees were satisfied with Indego as a rehabilitation device.

Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on: http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020052513549