A Preliminary Study on the Feasibility of Using a Knee Exoskeleton to Reduce Crouch Gait in an Adult with Cerebral Palsy

The most common gait pathology observed in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) is crouch gait, which is characterized by excessive knee flexion as well as other symptoms, such as spasticity and muscle weakness. A pair of bilateral knee exoskeletons can potentially reduce crouch gait in this population; doing so would presumably enhance mobility for such individuals. This paper describes the implementation of a knee exoskeleton and control approach intended to improve knee kinematics in an individual with CP. The knee exoskeleton provides extension torque to combat crouch during stance and employs trajectory control to encourage knee flexion and extension during swing. The device and controller were tested on a single adult individual with CP. Though the device and controller achieved the desired local effect, the step length and walking speed of the participant were reduced.