The Effect of Robotic Assist Gait Training on the Gait of Stroke Patients: Retrospective Study

Abstract

Objective: This study is a comparative study conducted retrospectively to investigate the effect of an exoskeleton-controlled gait-assisting robot gait machine on the improvement of balance and gait ability in subacute stroke patients. Method: 128 patients who were hospitalized in Seoul-based Hospital A from January 2020 to December 2020 agreed to participate in the study and use personal information. Patients with a factor of less than 6 months of onset and berg balance scale (BBS) score of greater than or equal to severity (21 points or more) were measured balance and gait analysis test. In the patients, 30 patients in the general physical therapy group and 30 patients in the general physical therapy with the additional exoskeleton-controlled gait-assisting robot gait training group were selected and their balance and gait abilities were retrospectively compared and analyzed. Results: The RAGTG significantly improved compared to the CG in the A-P position and lateral sysmmetry evaluation in the balance ability, and in the cadence and stride length evaluation in the gait ability. Conclusion: Both groups showed statistically significant improvement in balance and gait and in particular, the group that received additional RAGTG improved more in A-P position, lateral symmetry, and cadence, stride length compared to the CG. This result had a positive effect on balance ability and gait ability.