Bionic Leg Technology Helps Increase Mobility In Stroke Patients

After a stroke, many people can have problems getting around. Scientists in England are working to get stroke patients back on their feet with the help of robotic technology.

Researchers call it the power of progress - a bionic solution for stroke patients struggling to get moving again. “We had a 10-week intervention program that we ran using a overground robotic training device, also known as a bionic leg,” says Amy Wright, a lecturer in biomechanics at University of Portsmouth.

In the trial, several dozen stroke patients having trouble walking were given the bionic leg. A digital 3D camera system tracked their progress. “The leg understands and knows exactly when it needs to extend depending on where the pressure is on a pressure insole,” says Wright.

Researchers found giving bionic legs to people to use at home, alongside traditional physical therapy, sped up recovery. “We saw a confidence increase, we saw walking ability increase and therefore daily step count and activity increase from there for that group,” says Wright.

The bionic leg gave one stroke patient bound to his wheelchair the strength to walk again. “By the end of the 10-week program, he was able to walk around his home without a stick and no one around,” Wright says.

Scientists say with the price tag for robotic devices starting to drop, the idea of high-tech, home-based rehabilitation is gaining momentum.

British researchers are planning to run larger clinical trials with more robotic devices to find out which ones are most helpful for stroke patients.