By: 3 February 2014

New robotic training system helps patients recovering from stroke, spinal cord injury and other conditions affecting balance

Vector high res

The risk and fear of falling often affects patients who are recovering from a stroke, spinal cord or brain injury, and orthopaedic injuries, and that fear may inhibit their progress in rehabilitation. The University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute is offering a new robotic trolley system providing patients added security and allowing them to overcome that fear, thereby maximising benefit from therapy.

“The robotic trolley system moves on a ceiling-mounted, overhead track and connects to a harness holding the patient. The body weight support gives the patients the security to know that they will not fall, and the degree of support can be adjusted as the patients regain strength and mobility,” says Peter Gorman, MD, associate professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of the division of rehabilitation at the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute.

The computerised device, known as the Vector Gait and Safety System, allows therapists to program the system for each patient’s needs, including individualised body weight support. The system provides real-time feedback and keeps track of each patient’s movements and distance walked, enabling therapists to analyse the data and tailor each patient’s rehabilitation programme.

“The system allows many of our patients to walk earlier in their rehabilitation programme without an assistive device, such as a cane or walker. Patients who have used the Vector tell us that they feel extremely secure, which gives them the confidence to progress in their rehabilitation,” says Lori Patria, director of rehabilitation therapy services at the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute.

“As one of the nation’s leading rehabilitation and research facilities, we are committed to using innovative technologies to provide the best rehabilitative and orthopaedic care possible.  We are eager to see how this robotic track system can benefit patients with a wide range of gait issues,” says Michael Jablonover, MD, chief executive officer of the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

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