NCT00765544

Targeted Lower Extremity Joint Training

Robot-assisted Ankle Rehabilitation for Multiple Sclerosis (Anklebot)

• Status: Terminated
• Phase: Phase 1 / Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 10 (actual)
• Sponsor: US Department of Veterans Affairs · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The presence of foot drop limits normal gait. Our prior data has suggested that approximately 30% of MS patients have foot drop. Although we have observed that "task-specific" rehabilitation using the Lokomat can improve ambulation in chronic MS patients, subjects with "foot drop" have difficulty translating task-specific training to normative gait patterns over ground, despite improving speed and endurance. One of the key limitations of the Lokomat is a lack of robot-assisted training for the ankle joint. The Anklebot, an MIT-developed rehabilitation robot for the ankle, has the potential to address this. The device can move throughout three planes and train ankle flexion, extension, inversion and eversion; however, therapy with the Anklebot alone does not train the knee or hip. We plan to test whether subject foot drop and overall gait benefit more from Anklebot therapy alone or a combination of Anklebot and Lokomat.

Conditions

• Multiple Sclerosis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Anklebot	The Ankle-Bot (Wheeler et al., 2004) is a stand-alone robot assisted device that is worn via a leather boot and knee brace (Fig.1). The Ankle-Bot can assist ankle movement throughout 3 planes. The percentage of force generated by the Ankle-Bot can be adjusted from no help, 0% assistance to 100% assistance. The device is low impedance and a subject can easily over come the forces generated by the Ankle-Bot. The Ankle-Bot will guide and assist the subject into ankle flexion, extension, inversion and eversion.
DEVICE	Lokomat	The Lokomat is a motor driven exoskeleton device that employs a body weight support suspension system and treadmill .

Timeline

• Start date: 2008-09-01
• Primary completion: 2008-09-01
• Completion: 2008-09-01
• First posted: 2008-10-03
• Last updated: 2013-09-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States