Gait Training Vastly Improved With the LegTutor

In the December edition of the Journal of Neuro Engineering and Rehabilitation produced by Biomed Central Open Access, publisher, Doctors of physical therapy and occupational therapy (from Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Department of Neurorehabilitation Engineering Göttingen Germany and Graz University of Technology, Austria) present a review of the techniques and therapies used in gait rehabilitation after stroke.The group also looked at the benefits of including assistive robotic devices that work through a top-down approach. A top down approach is when rehabilitation is driven by neural plasticity.The primary goals of people with stroke include being able to walk independently and to perform daily activities. With this in mind rehabilitation programs for stroke patients mainly focus on gait training, at least for sub-acute patients. At present, gait rehabilitation is largely based on physical therapy and the robotic approach is less widely used. The traditional approach consists of the physical therapist correcting the patients gait and direct manipulation of the lower extremities position during gait. This gait training is done over a regular surface followed by assisted walking practice over simulated ground.
Motor learning approaches stress active patient involvement with the training preferably being given in the patient’s own environment
The article concludes that conventional gait training doesn’t restore a normal gait pattern in the majority of stroke patients. Therefore, high technology training devices including augmented motion feedback wearable devices as well as robotic devices are increasingly being used by many rehabilitation centres and clinicians. These new devices provide a means to ensure safe, intensive walking as well as isolated movement practice.
The newly developed LegTutor and 3DTutor have shown great success in improving gait/walking ability for stroke victims.
The LegTutor™ system (which also includes the HandTutor, ArmTutor and 3DTutor) has been developed to allow for functional rehabilitation of the lower extremity. The system consists of an ergonomic wearable leg brace and dedicated rehabilitation software. The LegTutor™ system allows for a range of biomechanical evaluation including speed, passive and active range of motion and motion analysis of the lower extremity. Quantitative biomechanical data allow for objective evaluation and rehabilitation treatment follow up. The LegTutor™ rehabilitation concept is based on performing controlled exercise rehabilitation practice at a patient customized level with real time accurate feedback on the patient’s performance. The exercises are designed in the form of challenging games that are suitable for a wide variety of neurological and orthopedic injury and disease.The games challenge the patient to perform the exercise task to their best ability and to continue exercise practice.
The LegTutor™ allows for isolated and a combination of knee and three directional hip treatment. The system provides detailed exercise performance instructions and precise feedback on the patients exercise performance. Controlled exercise of multi joints within the normal movement pattern prevents the development of undesired and compensatory joint movement and ensures better performance of functional tasks.
The 3DTutor™ is a motion feedback device that can be positioned on various parts of the body and works in conjunction with the other Tutors. For example, the 3DTutor™ provides motion feedback on the supination and pronation position of the forearm and the trunk movement position when positioned on the forearm and the trunk. When combined with the ArmTutor™ and the HandTutor™ the 3DTutor™ allows the Tutor system to evaluate and treat the whole upper extremity by providing multijoint virtual functional task exercises of the arm and feedback on the patient’s trunk position. When combined with the LegTutor™ and positioned on the ankle, the 3DTutor™ contributes to the complete lower extremity multijoint evaluation and virtual functional task exercises of the hip, knee and ankle. The Tutor system is used by many leading rehabilitation centers worldwide and has full FDA and CE certification. See www.HandTutor.com for more information.