Mobility Training for Patients Recovering from Neurological Injuries with Kickstart®: A Case Series

Despite numerous advances in rehabilitation techniques for people recovering from neurological injuries, many patients reach plateaus in their walking recovery and are unable to fully regain their independence. Technologies such as robotic exoskeletons seek to improve walking ability for neurological patients, but their cost severely limits widespread adoption. New affordable technologies that can accelerate neurological rehabilitation are needed. In this case series, we investigate a bio-inspired device called Kickstart with two chronic stroke survivors and one participant with a chronic incomplete spinal cord injury. Participants were assessed in terms of walking speed and walking endurance. All three participants demonstrated improved walking speed to reach elevated levels of community ambulation, and all three participants exhibited functional return in the form of less reliance on Kickstart. The results of this study suggest that Kickstart can be an effective tool in accelerating walking recovery for patients with chronic neurological injuries.