Lower-Limb-Assisting Robotic Exoskeleton Reduces Energy Consumption in Healthy Young Persons during Stair Climbing.

Many robotic exoskeletons for lower limb assistance aid walking by reducing energy costs. However, investigations examining stair-climbing assistance have remained limited, generally evaluating reduced activation of related muscles. This study sought to investigate how climbing assistance by a robotic exoskeleton affects energy consumption.

Paralysis of the gastrocnemius medial head differentially affects gait patterns and muscle activity during level and stair ascent locomotion.

Background: Prior studies have analyzed the activity of the gastrocnemius (GCM) medial and lateral heads as a single unit because it is technically challenging to separately analyze the function of each component in vivo. However, functional variation between the medial and lateral heads is expected due to their anatomical differences.

Research Question: What is the independent function of the medial GCM? How does paralysis of the GCM medial head affect gait kinematics?.