Resumen de Effect Of Robotic-Assisted Gait Training In Pediatric Population With Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury (A Randomized Controlled Trial)
Heba S. AbdelTawab, Emad Makram Ghattas, Mohamed Hesham Abouelenein, Wagdy William Amin Younan, Mina Nashaat Halim, Nadia Mohamed Abdelhakiem, Safi M Mahmoud
Background: The ability to walk again is often lost following a spinal cord injury (SCI), making it one of the most important goals for patients. In the last decade, robotic-assisted gait training has become a prominent rehabilitation therapy for enhancing people's walking patterns after neurological impairment. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT) in children having incomplete spinal cord injury compared to traditional rehabilitation training. Methods: Thirty patients having motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI), aged 7-14, were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups in a specialized rehabilitation institution (15 children each). The Control Group (CG) participated in conventional therapy for 1 hour per day, 5 days per week for a whole month, whereas the Study Group (SG) underwent RAGT in addition to conventional physiotherapy on the following schedule: 3 days with RAGT& 2 days with regular treatment a week for 1 month. Main outcome measures: Biodex isokinetic dynamometer & walking index used for spinal cord injury version II (WISCI-II) were performed before and after the intervention to provide indicators for improvement in ambulatory and decrease in patients' degree of impairment. Results: As compared to the control group, the study group has shown statistically substantial improvement. Conclusion: It is possible that ambulatory function can be improved by RAGT when compared to traditional physiotherapy. In children with incomplete spinal cord injuries, RAGT can be a useful adjunct to other rehabilitative methods.
