This symposium covers the development and testing of an ankle exoskeleton to assist gait in children with cerebral palsy. We will present different stages of the collaborative process between engineers and clinicians, from concept to clinical prototyping, pilot study results, and future directions for rehabilitation.
The first presentation describes the design of the paediatric ankle exoskeleton consisting of a 3D-printed personalized ankle module and an actuation unit integrated into a wearable backpack. An in-house automated digital design algorithm was used to create patient-specific cuffs from 3D scans and to align the mechanical axis on the ankle. The device provides variable bilateral assistance throughout the gait cycle mimicking concentric and excentric muscle work of plantar- and dorsiflexors. The assistance is customized to the patient’s needs based on typical gait normalization supplemented with clinical input.
The second presentation discusses the results of the initial clinical testing, focused on verifying the working mechanism and the assistance concept. We will present the immediate effect on different gait parameters in a group of children with cerebral palsy, to assess the ankle exoskeleton’s functionality and clinical efficacy. Further directions for refining the device were defined based on the observations and results of the clinical pilot study.
The third presentation reviews paediatric rehabilitation exoskeletons at different development stages from experimental models to medical devices and their application in rehabilitation. We will discuss the potential for transferring the present technology beyond the clinical gait lab to rehabilitation clinics, and home environment, to broaden the impact on paediatric rehabilitation.
Statement of the objective / learning objectives
Participants will gain insights into the multidisciplinary development and implementation of a paediatric ankle exoskeleton, evaluate its clinical effectiveness, and explore strategies for improving access to robotic-assisted rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy.
