Wearable robots that assist with walking over ground are now available in rehabilitation centers. However, the study team did not know how soon it is safe to start using these devices for rehabilitation, if they helped people to walk better than with traditional locomotor training methods, or if they had any other effects (better or worse) on recovery.~The study team's objectives of this study were to explore the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of using the powered exoskeleton, EksoGT, to provide a locomotor training intervention in acute inpatient rehabilitation for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) who were eligible for locomotor training.~Aim 1 examined the safety of exoskeleton use for persons with SCI during inpatient rehabilitation. Measures for this aim analyzed the amount of falls as well as types and counts of other adverse events (AE) for both serious and non-serious events as outlined by the FDA.~Aim 2 helped determine the feasibility of exoskeleton use during inpatient rehabilitation for SCI by monitoring the time from admission to first stand in the device, accumulated step count/time in the device, and progression of locomotor training frequency, duration, and intensity.~Aim 3 explored the potential for associations between exoskeleton use in inpatient rehabilitation and body functions and activities associated with walking. Measures for this aim included: American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS), Neurological Level of Injury (NLI), Upper and Lower Extremity Motor Scores, and Functional Index Measure (FIM).~Prospective subjects were recruited following admission to the SCI inpatient unit at Mount Sinai Hospital. Attending physicians and rehabilitation clinicians would identify patients admitted to the unit who may be eligible for the study. Consent forms were given to prospected participants.~After enrolling into the study, participants received locomotor training with the exoskeleton as part of their acute inpatient rehabilitation using the Ekso. Standing and walking with the Ekso started as soon as the clinical team determines it is safe for participants to begin standing, and continued until the participant is discharged from inpatient rehabilitation. The study team monitored participants for adverse events (safety), tracked the amount of walking provided during the inpatient stay (feasibility), and explored the improvement of activities of daily living (functioning) compared to the matched control group who didn't have Ekso training and were chosen by a retrospective chart review.
To assess how safe the exoskeleton, EksoGT, is to use for acute inpatient rehabilitation, if it helps people to walk better than with traditional walking training methods, or if they have any other effects (better or worse) on recovery.