Oxygen Uptake During Exoskeletal-Assisted Walking in Persons With Paraplegia

Objective: To determine the cardiometabolic demands associated with exoskeletal-assisted walking (EAW) in persons with paraplegia. This study will further examine if training in the device for 60 sessions modifies cost of transport (CT). Design: Prospective cohort study. Measurements over the course of a 60-session training program, approximately 20 sessions apart. Setting: James J. Peters Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Center for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury Research Center. Participants: The participants' demographics (N=5) were 37-61 years old, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 22.7-28.6, level of injury from T1-T11, and 2-14 years since injury. Interventions: Powered EAW. Main Outcome Measures: Oxygen consumption per unit time ((V)over dot O-2, mL/min/kg), velocity (m/min), cost of transport ((V)over dot O-2/velocity), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Results: With training: EAW velocity significantly improved (Pre: 51 +/- 51m; 0.14 +/- 0.14m/s vs Post: 99 +/- 42m; 0.28 +/- 0.12m/s, P=.023), RPE significantly decreased (Pre: 136 vs Post: 74, P=.001), (V)over dot O-2 significantly improved (Pre: 9.7 +/- 61.23 mL/kg/m vs Post: 12.73 +/- 2.30 mL/kg/m, P=.04), and CT was reduced from the early to the later stages of training (3.66 +/- 5.2 vs 0.87 +/- 0.85 mL/kg/m). Conclusions: The current study suggests that EAW training improves oxygen uptake efficiency and walking velocities, with a lower perception of exertion. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine