Article

Using mechanical orthoses have some limitations for walking in
paraplegic patients. The development of powered orthoses could potentially
overcome some of the limitations of those currently available. The
aim of this review was to compare the evidence of the effect of powered gait
orthoses (PGOs) when compared to reciprocating gait orthoses (RGOs) and also hip
guidance orthoses (HGOs) in improving gait parameters and the energy efficiency
of walking by spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. STUDY DESIGN : Literature review.
METHODS : Using the PRISMA method, and based on selected keywords and their
composition, a search was performed in PubMed, Science Direct, and ISI Web of
Knowledge databases. Eight articles were selected for final evaluation. RESULTS:
The results of the analysis demonstrated that there is lack of evidence to show
that currently-developed powered orthoses improve the walking parameters of SCI
patients when compared to RGOs and HGOs. CONCLUSIONS: The changes offered by PGOs
are not substantial enough for such orthoses to be currently considered
preferable by SCI subjects for ambulatory purposes. Clinical relevance The
development of powered orthoses is still in its infancy and progress needs to be
made to improve their functionality and performance envelopes.

Langue : ANGLAIS