Feasibility and Adaptability of ATLAS 2030 for CP data

Cerebral Palsy (CP), the most common motor disability in childhood, affects individual´s motor skills, movement, and posture. This results in limited activity and a low social participation. Walking has well-recognized physiological and functional benefits. For this purpose, rehabilitation focused on Robot-Assisted Gait Training (RAGT) has shown to improve their mobility and it is increasingly being used in pediatric neurorehabilitation to complement conventional physical therapy. In this case, a pilot study has been conducted to assess the feasibility and adaptability of ATLAS 2030 exoskeleton to be used in children with CP. Moreover, some state variables and electromyography have been analyzed as a secondary objective. Nine children with CP between 3 and 9 years old and with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels III-V received RAGT with ATLAS 2030 during one session. All modes of use of the exoskeleton were tested: forward and backward walking, gait in passive and active modes. The average time of use was 32.4 ± 7.2 minutes. No falls or adverse events that seriously compromised the health of the patients were reported. Furthermore, adductor spasticity was significantly reduced after the use of the exoskeleton (p = 0.04) and most joint limits were reduced, showing statistically significant differences for hip (p = 0.03) and popliteal (p = 0.001) angles. To conclude, ATLAS 2030 pediatric exoskeleton has been demonstrated to be feasible and adaptable for children with cerebral palsy. However, medium, or long-term studies on safety and efficacy should be conducted to verify these results.

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