1. Effect on body composition and bone mineral density of walking with a robotic exoskeleton in adults with chronic spinal cord injury
- Author
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Manuel Jose Escalona Castillo, Dany H. Gagnon, Antony D. Karelis, Mylène Aubertin-Leheudre, and Lívia Pinheiro Carvalho
- Subjects
Male ,030506 rehabilitation ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Powered exoskeleton ,Adipose tissue ,Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation ,Walking ,03 medical and health sciences ,Absorptiometry, Photon ,0302 clinical medicine ,Physical medicine and rehabilitation ,Bone Density ,Humans ,Medicine ,Tibia ,Quantitative computed tomography ,Spinal cord injury ,Spinal Cord Injuries ,Bone mineral ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Rehabilitation ,General Medicine ,Anatomy ,Middle Aged ,Exoskeleton Device ,medicine.disease ,Peripheral ,Body Composition ,Lean body mass ,Female ,0305 other medical science ,business ,human activities ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Objective To examine the effect on body composition and bone mineral density of locomotor training using a robotic exoskeleton in individuals with spinal cord injury. Study design Interventional study. Subjects/methods Five adults with a non-progressive traumatic complete sensorimotor spinal cord injury who were using a wheelchair as a primary mode of mobility. Participants performed a personalized 6-week progressive locomotor training programme using a robotic exoskeleton 3 times/week for up to 60 min. Body composition measures were determined using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Results A significant increase in leg and appendicular lean body mass and a decrease in total, leg and appendicular fat mass was observed after the intervention. Furthermore, the calf muscle cross-sectional area increased significantly after the intervention. Finally, although not statistically significant, there was an increase of 14.5% in bone mineral density of the tibia, which may be clinically significant. A decrease of > 5 % was also noted for subcutaneous adipose tissue and intramuscular adipose tissue. Conclusion Locomotor training using a robotic exoskeleton appears to be associated with improvements in body composition and, potentially, bone health.
- Published
- 2017
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