What happened?
A 31-year-old man with chronic paraplegia after a T12 spinal cord injury sustained in a fall completed a four-week programme combining powered robotic exoskeleton gait training with conventional rehabilitation.
Clinical findings
- Assessment included the Function in Sitting Test, Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury II, lower-extremity motor scores, Spinal Cord Independence Measure III, six-minute walk test and assistive-technology satisfaction.
Rehabilitation described in the report
- Fifteen sessions of powered robotic exoskeleton training were delivered over four weeks alongside conventional therapy.
- Gait training progressed from assisted weight-bearing towards crutch-assisted walking.
Reported outcomes
- The authors reported better sitting balance and functional mobility, with improved psychological well-being and rehabilitation adherence.
- The abstract describes progression to crutch-assisted walking but does not establish independent unaided walking.
Clinical lessons to consider
- Robotic gait training should be considered an adjunct to individualized spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
- Use validated mobility, independence and patient-satisfaction measures when evaluating assistive technology.
Limitations — what this case cannot tell us
- A single case with a short intervention period cannot establish comparative effectiveness or long-term community walking outcomes.
- The full article is not freely available on the publisher page, so details beyond the abstract should not be assumed.
Original source
Sunpreet Singh Hanspal, Harvinder Singh Chhabra, Ankush Gera, Gouree Sengar et al.. “Gait Training Using a Powered Robotic Exoskeleton for a Person With Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Report.” Spinal Cord Series and Cases, 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41394-025-00716-y
View the original publicationThis page is an independently written educational summary, not a reproduction of the full paper. Check the original article for complete methods, outcome tables, references and licensing.