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Powered Exoskeleton Gait Training and Hip Rate of Force Development in Chronic Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A
1Major in Sports Medicine, Department of Medicine, CHA University of Medicine and Science, Pocheon 11160, Republic of Korea.
Background:
Evidence on powered wearable exoskeleton gait training in patients with chronic hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is virtually absent, and existing studies have focused on macroscopic functional outcomes while neglecting joint-level neuromuscular force-generation characteristics such as rate of force development (RFD).
Objective:
To examine the effects of a six-week powered exoskeleton gait training program on isometric hip strength and RFD, sit-to-stand (STS) performance, frontal-plane hip strength, and center-of-pressure (CoP) dynamics in a patient with chronic HIE-induced quadriparesis.
Methods:
A case report with pre- and post-intervention evaluation was conducted. A 47-year-old male with chronic HIE-induced quadriparesis (onset 2017) completed 18 sessions (three per week, six weeks) of powered lower-limb exoskeleton gait training. Outcomes included isometric hip peak force and RFD (DynaMo, Vald Performance), STS peak force and body mass-normalized RFD (ForceDecks, Vald Performance), frontal-plane hip strength (ForceFrame, Vald Performance), and CoP path length and mean velocity.
Results:
Hip extension peak force increased by 247-256% bilaterally, and hip extension RFD increased by 174-188%, whereas hip flexion peak force showed minimal change (+3.3-5.2%). Body mass-normalized STS RFD increased by 250% (10 to 35 N·s-1·kg-1), representing the largest relative gain. Hip abduction strength increased by 27.1-36.8% with improved bilateral symmetry; hip adduction imbalance reversed from right to left dominance. CoP path length and mean velocity each decreased by 3.7%.
Conclusions:
Six weeks of powered exoskeleton gait training selectively enhanced time-dependent neuromuscular output-particularly RFD-beyond maximal strength gains, with meaningful improvements in functional weight acceptance during STS. These findings support exoskeleton-based training as a promising rehabilitation strategy for patients with chronic CNS injury.
