EFFECT OF ROBOTIC-ASSISTED GAIT TRAINING IN PEDIATRIC POPULATION WITH INCOMPLETE SPINAL CORD INJURY (A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL)

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.