A Comparison of the Armeo to Tabletop-assisted Therapy Exercises as Supplemental Interventions in Acute Stroke Rehabilitation: A Randomized Single Blind Study.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of an additional therapeutic upper limb exercise (ULE) intervention in early phase post-stroke rehabilitation and to assess outcomes of therapy using the Armeo Spring (ARMEO) versus Therapist-assisted Table Top (TAT) interventions.

Design: Randomized, single-blind trial.

Setting: Stroke acute inpatient rehabilitation unit.

Participants: Forty-five participants early after first stroke, Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) score >8, Modified Ashworth score (MAS) of <3.

Interventions: Participants were randomized to TAT or ARMEO ULE in addition to the required 3 hours of 1:1 standard of care provided in an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF).

Main Outcome Measures: Completed number of treatments; withdrawals; serious/adverse events; Functional Independence Measure (FIM) motor; FIM efficiency; FMA; MAS; elbow active (A) and passive (P) range of motion (ROM); and therapist effort measured by the Modified Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE).

Results: Post-intervention FIM and FMA scores increased but did not demonstrate any statistically significant differences between the intervention groups (P = .585, .962, partial n = .001, .001, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in post-intervention MAS elbow flexion and extension (P = .332, .252, partial n = .009, .007, respectively) and A/P ROM elbow extension between training groups (P = .841, .731, partial n = .001, .003, respectively). There was a statistically significant difference in post-intervention A/P ROM elbow flexion between groups (P = .031, .018, partial n = .123, .146). Post-intervention RPE did not show any statistically significant differences between the training groups (P = .128, partial n = .063). Total elbow range showed larger adjusted mean gains for the ARMEO. No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that additional therapeutic ULE in the early phase of post-stroke inpatient rehabilitation is feasible and that both interventions showed positive changes in selected outcomes.