Kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic characteristics during quiet standing on a balance exercise assist robot.
Norihide Itoh, Daisuke Imoto, Shuichi Kubo and 5 others
PMID 30349161WHAT IT FOUND
Quiet standing on the balance robot moved the body center more and required more hip, knee and ankle movement than standing on the floor.
Without handlebars, sway was greatest and several muscles worked hardest. This was healthy men, not patients.
Key findings
01Without handlebars, total body-center movement was 41.6 cm, compared with 22.6 cm on the floor. Forward-backward displacement was 11.4 cm, compared with 1.9 cm on the floor.
02Robot standing increased hip and knee flexion. Hip angle averaged 5.4 degrees without handlebars, 2.2 degrees with handlebars, and -0.3 degrees on the floor.
03Without handlebars, outer hip, thigh, shin and outer calf muscle activity was highest, while inner calf activity was lower than on the floor.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only healthy men were studied, so results may not transfer to patients with balance disorders. The task was quiet standing, not walking or functional balance. The sample was small. Head, neck and trunk motion were not analyzed. Handlebar load and hand motion were not measured. Robot conditions used a safety harness, so unsupported standing may differ.
Declared interests
Toyota Motor Corporation loaned the robot. The study received no specific grant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this robot improves balance in patients. The study measured quiet standing in healthy men and did not test treatment effects.