The Use of an Exoskeleton in the Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Patients with Impaired Motor Activity

Abstract. Purpose of the study: to evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive rehabilitation of patients with impaired mobility using the E-Helper exoskeleton and a treadmill in a day hospital. Materials and methods. The study involved 42 patients with mobility impairments who underwent the third stage of medical rehabilitation in the day hospital at the Republican Medical and Physical Education Center, Ufa. The study participants were divided into two equal groups, comparable in terms of the main studied indicators. The patients in the control group (CG, n = 21) received a basic complex consisting of therapeutic exercises, mechanotherapy using the FISITEK 2000TS device, magnetic therapy from the ALIMP-1 device, and sessions with a psychologist. The patients of the study group (SG, n = 21) were additionally prescribed exercises on the exoskeleton and a treadmill for 30 minutes daily, 10 procedures per course. To analyze the effectiveness of rehabilitation, we used the modified Rankin scale and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain intensity; to assess the patient»s locomotor function, the Hauser Ambulation Index and the EQ-5D quality of life questionnaire were utilized at the start of the study and at the end of the rehabilitation course (after 14 days). Results. It has been found that the use of an exoskeleton in the patients of the study group contributes to a more significant improvement in locomotor function, a decrease in functional dependence on external assistance, and an improvement in the quality of life of patients with impaired mobility compared to the control group.