Reciprocating gait orthoses: A multicenter study of their use by spinal cord injured patients

Objective: Use of reciprocating orthosis (RGO, ARGO, HGO) by 74 patients with complete traumatic spinal cord injury was studied. Lesion levels ranged from T1 to T12. Study Design: Patients were enrolled in seven Italian rehabilitation centers an average of 37 weeks after acute trauma. The training period averaged 39 days. Discontinued use of the device was recorded at follow-up. Before discharge, functional walking, gait velocity, donning and doffing time, and the ability to climb stairs were recorded. The same items were evaluated at 6-month follow-up. Results: At follow-up, 24 patients had abandoned the orthosis, 19 used the device for therapeutic exercise, 31 used it for functional gait, and 9 also used it outside the home. Functional walking was correlated with age, level of lesion, ability to climb stairs, duration of training, and lapse of use of the orthosis. The results showed a correlation between use of the orthosis and the ability to climb stairs, as well as a high Garrett score, Conclusion: This orthosis is not considered as an alternative to the wheelchair, despite its greater speed, simplicity of use, and greater autonomy provided to the user. (C) 1997 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.