Robot therapy with the H2 exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation in patients with incomplete spinal cord injry. A clinical experience

Background and objective: Robotic exoskeletons have emerged as a promising tool in gait rehabilitation in patients with a spinal cord injury. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical applicability of a new robotic exoskeleton model (Exo H2) in the rehabilitation of people with incomplete spinal cord injury. Material and methods: Exo H2 exoskeleton training was performed for 15 sessions in patients with incomplete subacute spinal cord injury. We analysed the appearance of undesirable events and the patient's perception of pain, fatigue and comfort. In addition, a pilot test was carried out on the possible effectiveness of the device by analysing gait characteristics before and after treatment measured by the 10mWT, the 6mWT, the TUG, the WISCI-II, and the impact on the SCIM III scale. Results: Of a group of 8 patients recruited, we were able to analyse data from 4. No undesirable effects were reported. The VAS value was 2.28 ± 1.55 for pain, 3.75 ± 1.55 for fatigue and 4.17 ± 1.68 for comfort. All values improved on the WISCI-I and the TUG and almost all in the 10MWT and in the 6MWT. Conclusions: The performance of the Exo H2 exoskeleton was robust during a clinical protocol for gait rehabilitation. The treatment was safe, without undesirable effects and with good patient tolerance. These results might justify the performance of clinical trials with an adequate sample size.