Effects of lower limb exoskeleton-assisted rehabilitation training on ischemic stroke patients with ICU-acquired weakness

Abstract

To evaluate the effectiveness of lower limb exoskeleton robots in improving musculoskeletal function in ischemic stroke patients with ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW), compare its therapeutic efficacy with conventional rehabilitation, and explore the underlying physiological and biomechanical mechanisms. A total of 72 eligible patients were randomly divided into the experimental group (exoskeleton robot-assisted rehabilitation) and control group (conventional rehabilitation). Both groups received routine rehabilitation, with the experimental group undergoing additional exoskeleton training for 8 weeks. Assessments included MRC muscle strength score, Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-LE), muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), surface electromyography (sEMG) RMS ratio, and blood biochemical indicators. After intervention, the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in MRC score, FMA-LE, muscle CSA, RMS ratio, osteocalcin, and alkaline phosphatase (all P  < 0.05) compared with the control group, with no significant difference in creatine kinase ( P  > 0.05). Lower limb exoskeleton robot-assisted rehabilitation training significantly improves motor function and musculoskeletal recovery in ischemic stroke patients with ICU-AW, with superior efficacy to conventional rehabilitation alone, providing theoretical basis for clinical application.