| The purpose of this study was to evaluate energy expenditure (EE) during powered exoskeleton--assisted walking in persons with paraplegia. Five male participants with paraplegia, aged 37--61 years, were recruited for this study. Able--bodied (AB) subjects were matched for height (+/-12.7 cm) weight (+/-6.8 kgs) and age (+/-5 yrs) were recruited to serve as a control group. EE measurements were obtained for 6 minutes while: seated, standing, walking, and seated recovery for three trials (Pre, Mid, Post) over 60 sessions. A portable metabolic cart was used to obtain all metabolic measurements. The results from this study suggest that over the course of 60 sessions, powered exoskeletal--assisted walking can: significantly improve an individual's oxygen consumption (p=0.04), significantly decrease RPE (p<0.001), and significantly increase the distance traveled per 6MWT (p=0.02). These improvements may potentially further enhance the quality of life of persons with paraplegia. |
