Gait performance and foot pressure distribution during wearable robot-assisted gait in elderly adults.
Su-Hyun Lee, Hwang-Jae Lee, Won Hyuk Chang and 5 others
PMID 29183379WHAT IT FOUND
In 30 healthy older adults, a hip-assist robot increased walking speed, cadence and stride length, lowered some leg-muscle effort, and raised foot pressure during a short walk.
This shows immediate mechanical effects, not long-term rehabilitation benefit.
Key findings
01With assist torque, gait speed, cadence, stride length and single support time were significantly higher than during free walking and wearing the robot with zero torque.
02Assist torque reduced rectus femoris and medial gastrocnemius activity during terminal stance, and reduced medial gastrocnemius activity during pre-swing.
03Foot pressure distribution was significantly different among conditions, with higher total-foot maximum force and peak pressure during assist torque.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study measured only short 10-m lab walks, so it does not show whether the effects last, improve daily activities, or reduce falls. Participants were healthy older adults with high physical performance, including a mean Short Physical Performance Battery score of 9.14 points and scores of 7 or higher, so the results may not apply to frailer patients or people with gait disorders. Muscle activity was recorded only from the right leg, and all participants had right leg dominance, so the study does not address asymmetrical gait or unilateral disease. The study did not measure joint moments or ground reaction forces, so it cannot confirm the mechanical push-off power or walking efficiency the authors discuss. The comparison was only immediate wearing with torque versus immediate wearing without torque or free walking; there was no long-term intervention or clinical outcome. The paper did not state a single primary outcome; it reported several gait, muscle and foot-pressure measures.
Declared interests
The supplied text lists funding from Samsung Medical Center and the National Research Foundation of Korea. The GEMS device was developed by the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and is associated with Samsung Electronics.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the GEMS improves long-term walking, daily function or fall risk. The study measured only short walks in healthy older adults with high baseline function, and it did not assess clinical outcomes or lasting effects.