Training With a Gravity-Balanced Exoskeleton Robot to Improve Upper Limb and Daily Function in Patients With Tetraplegia.

Objective: Patients with tetraplegia experience significant limitations in upper extremity function, restricting the performance of activities of daily living. Herein, we evaluated the effects of upper extremity training using an exoskeleton robot device, in the form of mobile arm support, on functi...

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Publicado en:American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Vol. 105; no. 6; pp. 472 - 479
Autores principales: Cho, Duk Youn, Lim, Jung Eun, Kim, Onyoo
Formato: clinical trial pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Jun2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jun2026
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      pub: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
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        atl: Training With a Gravity-Balanced Exoskeleton Robot to Improve Upper Limb and Daily Function in Patients With Tetraplegia.
      aug:
        au:
          Cho, Duk Youn
          Lim, Jung Eun
          Kim, Onyoo
        affil: From the National Rehabilitation Research Center, National Rehabilitation Center and Hospital, Seoul, Korea
      sug:
        subj:
          Quadriplegia Rehabilitation
          Upper Extremity Exercises
          Exoskeleton Devices Utilization
          Gravity, Altered
          Upper Extremity Physiology
          Functional Assessment
          Activities of Daily Living
          Physical Performance Evaluation
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Aged
          South Korea
          Rehabilitation Centers
          Clinical Trials
          Pretest-Posttest Design
          Comparative Studies
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Toothbrushing
          Range of Motion
          Clinical Assessment Tools
          Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Shoulder Physiology
          Muscle Strength
          Flexion
          Extension
          Abduction
          Adduction
          Funding Source
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Aged: 65+ years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Objective: Patients with tetraplegia experience significant limitations in upper extremity function, restricting the performance of activities of daily living. Herein, we evaluated the effects of upper extremity training using an exoskeleton robot device, in the form of mobile arm support, on functional recovery and activities of daily living performance. Design: This preliminary study employed a one-group pre-post test design and used a Wilmington robotic exoskeleton for training. The training comprised six sessions conducted three times per week over a 2-wk period. Assessments were conducted using the Manual Muscle Test, range of motion, Upper Extremity Functional Index, and Efficiency of Assistive Technology and Services. Twenty participants were enrolled. Results: The participants demonstrated significant improvements in muscle strength across shoulder and elbow flexion. Regarding range of motion, significant improvements were observed in all areas except for shoulder internal rotation and elbow flexion. The Upper Extremity Functional Index results indicated no significant differences in the difficulty of performing most tasks. The Efficiency of Assistive Technology and Services showed some improvement in task performance difficulty; however, they were not significant. Conclusions: A gravity-balanced exoskeleton robot effectively improved the upper extremity muscle strength and range of motion in patients with tetraplegia. Mobile arm support devices can be utilized to assist in upper extremity function and training in patients with tetraplegia.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        clinical trial
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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