Evaluation of Patients Who Received Robotic Therapy after Spinal Cord Injuries

Abstract

Background: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the robotic device used in lower limb rehabilitation to reduce motor impairment and improve motor performance in patients with traumatic spinal injury. Methods: The data were obtained by retrospective analysis of patients who underwent lower extremity rehabilitation after traumatic spinal injury by robot-assisted rehabilitation in the hospital between December 2017 and December 2019. The results were statistically analyzed and shown as mean ± SD (min-max). Results: A total of 51 patients with mean age of 59.51 ± 8.2 (38-72) were admitted to the clinic. Mean ages of thirty-one male patients and twenty females patients were 58.74 ± 8.88 (38-77) and 60.7 ± 7.09 (44-72), respectively. Comparing ages in terms of gender, it was not statistically significant (p = 0.441). Body mass indexes of male patients were 32.84 ± 6.52 (20-48) and 31.4 ± 7.73 (18-48) for females. Body mass index of patients was not statistically significant in terms of their gender (p = 0.478). Oswestry disability index scores were 32.04 ± 10.74 (16-58) before treatment and 30.69 ± 10.31 (15-55) after treatment. Oswestry disability index values before and after robotic rehabilitation were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Significant improvement was observed in ASIA scale values after rehabilitation. Conclusions: The motor function gains obtained during the robot-assisted treatment of traumatic spinal injury patients showed robotic device was useful in the training program. Robotic rehabilitation was effective in the improvement of the lower extremities during motor examination.