Photo to illustrate the concept of robot-assisted walking training. (a) Front and (b) back of the walking assistance training robot. (c) The back of a patient being trained to assist walking using a robot. (d) Lateral lumbar X-ray and (e) patient undergoing gait training using a spinal brace (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — A new study has demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of robot-assisted gait training for patients recovering from spinal surgery, with participants showing an average 39% improvement in their ability to perform daily activities, researchers from Gangnam Severance Hospital announced on February 5.
The research team, led by Park Jung-hyun of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, analyzed the effects of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) on 32 patients who underwent spinal surgery at the hospital between June and December 2023.
RAGT involves using medical robots to help patients who have difficulty walking after surgery, supporting them in activities such as standing, maintaining balance, walking on level ground, and navigating stairs.
The study found that patients began their robot-assisted training an average of 17.9 days after surgery and completed the program without significant side effects. After five sessions of RAGT, patients showed marked improvements in mobility and independence.
The Functional Ambulation Classification (FAC) scores, which assess walking ability, increased from 2.65 before training to 3.78 after completion. The Modified Barthel Index (MBI), measuring patients’ ability to perform daily activities such as personal hygiene, dressing, and eating, improved by 38.6%, rising from 7.69 to 10.66 points.
In satisfaction surveys, patients rated their experience on a 5-point scale, giving scores of 3.30 for robot usability, 3.72 for the training program itself, and 3.08 for overall treatment. Notably, patients expressed highest satisfaction with the reduced fear of falling during robot-assisted training, which encouraged more active participation in rehabilitation exercises.
“This is the first study in South Korea to clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of robot-assisted gait training,” said Park. “Given these meaningful results, we need to continue improving protocols, developing customized robots, and validating their effectiveness.”
The research findings were published in the international journal “Frontiers in Medicine.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
