Efficacy of bilateral soft exoskeleton training for people with subacute stroke: a randomized controlled trial.
Ruimou Xie, Jingyao Sun, Jingyang Yu and 8 others
PMID 41457215WHAT IT FOUND
Adding bilateral soft exoskeleton assistance to standard treadmill training improved walking speed, gait symmetry, and independence more than conventional training alone in people with subacute stroke.
The exoskeleton group gained 0.17 m/s in speed, exceeding the threshold for meaningful change.
Key findings
01Participants using the soft exoskeleton showed significantly greater improvement in walking independence (FAC) than those receiving conventional training.
02The soft exoskeleton group improved walking speed by 0.17 m/s, which exceeded the established minimal clinically important difference of 0.16 m/s.
03Gait symmetry, measured by temporal and spatial ratios, improved significantly more in the soft exoskeleton group compared to the conventional training group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study did not include a long-term follow-up, so it is unknown if the benefits persist after the 20-session intervention ends. There was a significant imbalance in gender between groups, with more females in the control group, which may affect generalizability. The sample size was relatively small (60 participants), and the study was single-blind (only the assessor was blinded). Secondary outcomes were analyzed exploratorily without correction for multiple comparisons, increasing the risk of false-positive findings.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Youth Fund of Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Beijing Nova Program. No specific conflicts of interest regarding the device manufacturer were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the exoskeleton is superior for all stroke patients. The study only included people who could already walk at least 14 meters and had a FAC score of 3 or higher, so it does not apply to non-ambulatory patients or those with severe impairment.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →