Page 30 - Mobility Management, January 2018

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Study: Exoskeleton Use Can Bene t Wide Range of SCI Patients
A new study says a wide range of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) bene ted from using the EksoGT exoskeleton.
The study, published in the International Spinal Cord Society’s Spinal Cord journal, included participants who had tetraplegia
or paraplegia from SCI. The participant
group included those who were newly injured as well as those who had been injured signi - cantly longer ago, and those with incomplete or complete injuries.
In a news announcement from Ekso Bionics Holdings, manufacturer of the EksoGT, the SCI research was described as involving multiple countries in Europe.
Thomas Looby, president/CEO of Ekso Bionics, said in the announcement,
“The Pan-Euro study is one of the rst
to evaluate wearable exoskeletons in a heterogeneous SCI population, providing additional insights across a wider range of patients. Previous exoskeleton studies focused
on complete SCI.
“In combination with the 35 U.S. studies and
25 EMEA studies conducted with the EksoGT, we are paving the way on quantifying the bene ts of exoskeleton gait rehabilitation and ultimately
rede ning rehabilitation for a broader range of patients with SCI.”
Researchers said the study showed that a wider range of SCI patients could improve their gait
function and balance function by using the EksoGT. Carsten Bach Baunsgaard, M.D., Clinic for Spinal Cord Injuries, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen,
is the published paper’s lead author.
“The Pan-Euro study shows that the EksoGT is safe
and feasible for persons with SCI with different levels and severity of injuries and that it may have potential
bene ts in those with incomplete SCI on gait and balance function,” Baunsgaard said.
The study included 60 participants, 52 of whom completed at least 16 of 24 gait-training
sessions using the EksoGT. Study participants used the EksoGT for eight weeks. m
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30 JANUARY 2018 | MOBILITY MANAGEMENT MobilityMgmt.com
EXOSKELETON IMAGES COURTESY EKSO BIONICS