Utilization of Robo-K for improving walking and balance in patients affected by neurological injuries: A preliminary study

Objective Robotic systems allow to initiate and facilitate the implementation of a movement executed by the patient. The objective was to test the interest of an innovative gait robot. Materials/patients and methods Eighteen patients 53.6 (± 11.1) years aged, with a functional ambulation category (FAC) 0 to 5, followed 3 sessions of 45 min/week with the mobile robot with body weight support during 4 weeks while maintaining conventional physiotherapy sessions. This evolutionary robot provides, in stationary mode balance training safely through suspension, and in mobile mode gait training according to various trajectories. FAC, 6 min walk test (6 min), 10 meters walking test (10 m), Berg balance scale, time up and go (TUG) were evaluated. Results Various exercises could have been proposed regardless of the patients’ walking stage. FAC was increased from 1.0 (± 1.0), 10 m time from 28.0 s (± 23.1), 6 min distance from 80.6 m TUG was improved from 19.6 s (± 10.7) and Berg score from 9.6 points (± 9.0). Discussion/Conclusion Balance and gait rehabilitation were facilitated by the reassuring device. An improvement of all the tests was observed. These results are encouraging and a randomized study is necessary to evaluate the benefit of Robo-K in comparison to a control group.