Basic human ambulation relies on a bipedal gait, which has been reported to be directly related to quality of life. However, injuries to the lower limb can cause an inability to walk and require non-weightbearing periods to heal. Among the many ambulatory aids, standard axillary crutches are prescribed. However, due to the disadvantages of having to use both hands, a slow gait, pain, nerve damage, and gait patterns that differ from that of healthy subjects, currently, a new generation of ambulatory aids has emerged. Among such aids, hands-free crutches (HFCs) are of particular interest due to their form factor, which does not require the use of the hands and facilitates a bipedal gait. In this study, we present an assessment of whether any different gait patterns, compared to overground gait, appeared on the unaffected limb during walking with an HFC. The spatiotemporal parameters, plantar force, lower-limb joint angles, and EMG patterns were evaluated. In conclusion, the results from 10 healthy subjects suggest that wearing an HFC causes only slight changes in the biomechanical gait patterns examined in the unaffected limb compared with overground walking without an HFC.

Objective: A previous study reported that cardiovascular training (CT) decreased interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pro-inflammatory cytokine with bidirectional effects. However, because of conflicting results of increasing and decreasing IL-6 levels in stroke patients, it is essential to clarify the effects of CT on IL-6 levels in this population. Therefore, this review aimed to investigate the effects of CT on IL-6 levels in stroke patients through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), synthesizing and analyzing the effects qualitatively and quantitatively. Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Methods: In this review, conducted in April 2023, electronic databases (Web of Science, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, Google Scholar) were searched to ascertain the effects of CT on IL-6 levels in stroke patients. For qualitative evaluation, ReVMan, provided by the Cochrane Group, was used, and for quantitative evaluation, a random-effects model and SMD (Standardized Mean Difference) were used. Results: Three RCTs measured IL-6 in 117 patients with stroke. The experimental group to which CT was applied showed no significant change compared to the control group.The result of analysis using the random effect model is SMD＝-0.23; 95% confidence interval, -0.66 to 0.20. Conclusions: CT does not affect IL-6 levels in stroke patients. These results suggest that CT can be applied regardless of its positive or negative effect on IL-6 levels in stroke patients.