Effectiveness of a Personalized Robot-Assisted Trunk and Lower Limb Rehabilitation in Patients with Chronic Stroke

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effectiveness of a newly developed trunk-lower limb rehabilitation robot in patients with chronic stroke. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial conducted at a rehabilitation center. Forty patients with chronic stroke (mean age 59.48±7.63 years) were randomized to an intervention group (n=20) or a control group (n=20). The intervention group received individualized robotic trunk-lower limb training applying Jacob® (LDS Co., Ltd, Daegu, Korea) once daily, 5 times per week for 3 months, in addition to conventional rehabilitation. The control group received conventional rehabilitation only. The primary outcome was the change in Functional Ambulatory Category (FAC) from baseline to 3 months. Secondary outcomes included manual muscle testing, the Modified Ashworth Scale, Berg Balance Scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and robot-based multiple kinematic parameters. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the intervention group showed significant improvements in FAC. Multiple kinematic parameters, particularly lateral bending, forward bending, weight transfer and gait ability also significantly improved (P<0.05). The control group exhibited no significant changes. CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted trunk-lower limb training combined with conventional rehabilitation significantly improved trunk control and ambulatory function in patients with chronic stroke, supporting its potential clinical utility.