Clustering trunk movements of children and adolescents with neurological gait disorders undergoing robot-assisted gait therapy: the functional ability determines if actuated pelvis movements are clinically useful

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation

Research

Nikolas Hesse¹  Rob Labruyère¹  Tabea Aurich-Schuler¹  Florian van Dellen² 

[1]Swiss Children’s Rehab, Children’s University Hospital Zurich, Mühlebergstrasse 104, 8910, Affoltern Am Albis, Switzerland

[2]Children’s Research Center, Children’s University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland

[3]Swiss Children’s Rehab, Children’s University Hospital Zurich, Mühlebergstrasse 104, 8910, Affoltern Am Albis, Switzerland

[4]Sensory-Motor Systems Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Tannenstrasse 1, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

[5]Children’s Research Center, Children’s University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland

关键词: Center of mass displacement;    Weight shifting;    Pelvis movements;    Rehabilitation;    Marker-less motion tracking system;    Trunk control;    Balance;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12984-023-01200-0

 received in 2023-02-02, accepted in 2023-05-26,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionRobot-assisted gait therapy is frequently used for gait therapy in children and adolescents but has been shown to limit the physiological excursions of the trunk and pelvis. Actuated pelvis movements might support more physiological trunk patterns during robot-assisted training. However, not every patient is expected to react identically to actuated pelvis movements. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify different trunk movement patterns with and without actuated pelvis movements and compare them based on their similarity to the physiological gait pattern.Methods and resultsA clustering algorithm was used to separate pediatric patients into three groups based on different kinematic reactions of the trunk to walking with and without actuated pelvis movements. The three clusters included 9, 11 and 15 patients and showed weak to strong correlations with physiological treadmill gait. The groups also statistically differed in clinical assessment scores, which were consistent with the strength of the correlations. Patients with a higher gait capacity reacted with more physiological trunk movements to actuated pelvis movements.ConclusionActuated pelvis movements do not lead to physiological trunk movements in patients with a poor trunk control, while patients with better walking functions can show physiological trunk movements. Therapists should carefully consider for whom and why they decide to include actuated pelvis movements in their therapy plan.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

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