SCI Mobility Therapy Enhanced by the Tutor System

As published in Archives of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationVolume 92, Issue 11 November 2011 and presented in part to the American Physical Therapy Association by Stacy L. Fritz, PhD, MSPT etal who conducted the following study:
An intensive intervention for improving gait, balance, and mobility in individuals with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury: a pilot study of activity tolerance and benefits.
The objective was to determine the tolerance to and benefits of an intensive mobility training (IMT) approach for individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury (ISCI).
There was a prospective pretest-posttest study with 6-month follow-up and the setting was in the University research laboratory.
The participants were a volunteer sample of individuals with ISCI (N=15; >6mo postinjury and able to walk at least 3.05m with or without assistance). Follow-up data were collected for 10 of the participants.
Participants received IMT for 3h/d for 10 weekdays, participating in activities that encouraged repetitive, task-specific training of their lower extremities in a massed practice schedule.
The amount of time spent in therapeutic activities and rest was used to assess participants’ tolerance to the intervention. Treatment outcomes were assessed pretest, posttest, and 6 months after the intervention and included the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), 6-minute walk test, gait speed, and Spinal Cord Injury Functional Ambulation Inventory.
The results showed that the individuals in the higher functioning ISCI group (BBS score ≥45 and gait speed ≥0.6m/s) spent more time in the intensive therapy on average than individuals in the lower functioning ISCI group. Effect sizes were comparable for changes in balance and mobility assessments between the lower and higher functioning groups, with the largest effect sizes observed for the DGI.
The conclusions of the study showed that this dosage of IMT may be a more appropriate treatment approach for higher functioning ISCI individuals, as they were better able to tolerate the length of the session and demonstrated higher effect sizes postintervention.
Including the Tutor system into the SCI rehabilitation program has shown great progress in improving mobility and range of motion capabilities in the patient.
The HandTutor, ArmTutor, LegTutor and 3DTutor are devices that are FDA and CE certified and are being used in leading U.S. and foreign hospitals. They have had success in improving movement of the hand, wrist, elbow, knee, ankle, foot and other joints of the body following traumatic injuries. The devices have been effective for post stroke victims as well as for those suffering from spinal cord and brain injuries, Cerebral Palsy, Apraxia, MS, Parkinsons and other movement disabilities. Intensive active exercise can reduce the rate of deterioration and this is what the ”Tutor” devices provide.
The system is also used in physical therapy clinics as well as the patient’s home with tele rehabilitation. The ”Tutors” are suitable for adults and children and are fully certified by the FDA and CE.