MIT-Skywalker: considerations on the Design of a Body Weight Support System.
Rogério Sales Gonçalves, Hermano Igo Krebs
PMID 28877750WHAT IT FOUND
A saddle-based support system let healthy walkers lean their trunk more than an overhead harness, which restricted movement.
This suggests the saddle may offer better balance training opportunities, but these findings are from eight healthy people, not patients.
Key findings
01The overhead harness system resulted in the smallest trunk inclination at all walking speeds, imposing a major constraint on trunk movement.
02The bicycle/saddle system resulted in the largest trunk inclination, which the authors suggest affords balance training.
03Subjects reported that walking on the bicycle/saddle support was more comfortable than using the overhead harness.
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 included only eight healthy young adults with no neurological or musculoskeletal disorders, so the results do not reflect how patients with stroke or other impairments would respond. The study measured kinematics (movement) and comfort, not clinical outcomes like walking speed, balance scores, or recovery of function. The authors note that the saddle system restricted hip flexion, which is a potential drawback for gait mechanics that requires further design optimization.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by CNPq and FAPEMIG. The paper does not list specific conflicts of interest for the authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the saddle system improves patient outcomes. The study only measured trunk movement in healthy people; it did not test if this leads to better balance or walking in patients with disabilities.