Feasibility of the Overground Bodyweight Supporting Walking System Andago

The specific aims of the current project are:

• To investigate the practicability, the investigators plan to determine the accuracy of the weight-supporting system of the Andago and the time needed for donning and doffing. The investigators also evaluate the number of times that the device stops and the nature of these stops (due to errors, sitting of the patient, when preventing falls, or when the patient moves too fast).
• To evaluate acceptability, the investigators plan to evaluate differences in motivation and measures reflecting safety (i.e. number of falls prevented) and subjective feeling of safety when patients walk with the Andago compared to walking with their usual walking aids.
• To evaluate the appropriateness, the investigators are interested in differences between walking on a treadmill and walking overground with this device or changes that occur during walking overground when changing the level of BWS through the unloading system. Therapists should be aware of these differences to know what the advantage of such a system could be or how adjustments in settings influence the walking pattern. The investigators plan two investigations: (a) To determine differences in stride-to-stride variability, leg muscle activation, hip, knee and ankle joint kinematics and other gait parameters during walking in the Andago (overground) versus walking on a treadmill. (b) To determine differences in the same parameters when walking in the Andago with different levels of BWS. These levels are the minimal required level of BWS to walk without buckling the knees (ref BWS), ref BWS plus 15% and ref BWS plus 30%.

To investigate these aims, the patients will be asked to participate in 3 appointments, which should be scheduled within 10 days.

Inclusion criteria

• Neuromotor or orthopaedic disorders
• taller than 135 cm
• able to understand simple instructions
• able to walk 10 meters with or without walking aid
• maximal age of 18 years (a minimal age is not defined as according to the growth curve, children younger than 7-8 years cannot be included because of insufficient height)
• given informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• not consolidated fractures or bone fragility of the lower extremities
• skin lesions in the harness' area which cannot be protected
• unstable hip, knee and/or ankle Joints
• reduced head control or inability to maintain an upright Position
• inability to communicate discomfort or pain
• surgery in the last 3 months
• newly implanted baclofen-pump (or children highly sensitive to it)
• implanted pacemakers
• passive knee extension deficit > 30°
• self-selected walking speed > 3.2 km/h.
• weight > 135 kg
• height > 2 m.