Effect of the Kickstart exoskeleton lower extremity walking system on improving lower extremity walking ability in subacute stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial.
Chengpan Liang, Chunli Wan, Jinyu Yang and 6 others
PMID 40635019WHAT IT FOUND
In subacute stroke, adding Kickstart to conventional rehab improved lower-limb motor scores more at 4 and 8 weeks, but gait speed, stride length and symmetry did not differ between groups.
Key findings
01The primary lower-limb motor outcome improved in both groups, but the Kickstart group was higher at 4 and 8 weeks and had a greater 4-week change.
02Gait speed, stride length and temporal symmetry ratio did not show significant between-group differences across time.
03Perceived exertion decreased more in the Kickstart group at 8 weeks, and some hip and knee muscle activity measures were greater in the Kickstart group at 4 or 8 weeks.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The authors state that the sample size was limited, with 46 patients total. Follow-up was only to 8 weeks after baseline, and the authors describe the follow-up period as only 4 weeks. The primary FMA-LE group-by-time interaction was not significant, even though some time-point comparisons favoured Kickstart. Participants had to be able to walk more than 10 metres at entry, so findings may not apply to more dependent stroke patients. The supplied text does not report participant flow, withdrawals or adverse-event results. The study did not assess neurophysiological changes, and the authors note that future work should isolate device effects through dose-matched designs.
Declared interests
Funding came from the National Clinical Medical Research Centre Cultivation Program of Nanjing, Major sports research projects of Jiangsu Sports Bureau, and a Jiangsu Province Hospital clinical diagnosis and treatment technological innovation open bidding project. The supplied text gives no conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the Kickstart exoskeleton improves walking speed or gait symmetry more than conventional training. The study found no significant between-group differences in gait speed, stride length or temporal symmetry ratio.