Effects of robotic gait rehabilitation on biomechanical parameters in the chronic hemiplegic patients

Hemiplegia is a more or less complete loss of hemibody voluntary motricity following a brain injury, usually resulting in alterations of the locomotor system with persistent disorders of movement and posture. We were interested in studying the gait pattern called "stiff knee gait" with the main objective to highlight the role of a robotic rehabilitation in improving or modifying/changing the walking pattern in adults with chronic hemiplegic disorders. Data were collected by a motion analysis system (Vicon(®)--Oxford Metrics, Oxford, UK) in order to achieve a Clinical Gait Analysis before and after a robotic gait rehabilitation (Lokomat(®)). Four intensive sessions per weeks during five weeks were performed by ten chronic hemiplegic adults. The results show a significant improvement in locomotor parameters (walking speed, step length, single and double support time) and in the knee kinematics. This first study provides experimental evidence of the importance and usefulness of the robotic rehabilitation as an aid in the rehabilitation of gait pattern in adults with chronic hemiplegia.