Table 1.
Characteristic of enrolled studies.
| No. | Author | Year | Sample size | Age | Gender | Equipment | Intervention program | Patients | Outcome | Time after injury | Neurologic level of injury (NLI) | The American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kim (26) | 2021 | 10 | 48.1 ± 8.3 | 7 M/3 F | wearable exoskeleton: H-MEX | 60 min of walking training with a powered exoskeleton 3 times per week for 10 weeks (total 30 sessions). | 8 were motor-complete SCI (AIS A or B) and 2 were motor-incomplete (AIS C) | 6 MWT, TUG | 5.68 ± 4.53 (years) | C6, 1; T1, 1; T4, 1; T8, 1; T10, 4; T11, 1; L1, 1. | 3.5 ± 0.81 | |
| 2 | Hong (27) | 2020 | 50 | 38.7 ± 14.2 | 38 M/12 F | wearable exoskeleton: Ekso+Rewalk | 3 times per week for 12 weeks | chronic SCI (6 months) | 10 MWT, 6 MWT, TUG | 4.69 ± 5.18 (years) | NA | 2.74 ± 0.97 | |
| 3 | Mcintosh (28) | 2019 | 11 | 41 ± 19.8 | 8 M/3 F | wearable exoskeleton: Ekso GT | 25 one-hour sessions of exoskeletal-assisted walking gait training | participants <6 months from initial SCI | 10 MWT, 6 MWT | 9.55 ± 3.23 (weeks) | C6, 2; T5, 1; T6, 1; T7, 3; T10, 1; T12, 1; L1, 1; L2, 1. | 2.82 ± 1.11 | |
| 4 | Sale (29) | 2018 | 8 | 43.3 ± 12.4 | 6 M/2 F | wearable exoskeleton: Ekso | 20 sessions (5/4 days a week for 4/5 weeks) | 7 were motor-complete SCI (AIS A or B) and 1 were motor-incomplete (AIS C) | 10 MWT, 6 MWT, TUG | NA | T1, 1; L1, 2; L2, 1; D1, 1; D7, 1; D10, 1; D12, 1. | 3.25 ± 0.66 | |
| 5 | Jansen (30) | 2017 | 8 | NA | NA | wearable exoskeleton: HAL Robot Suit exoskeleton | 12 weeks with 5 training sessions a week. | had acquired SCI more than 1 year prior to enrolment in the trial | 10 MWT, 6 MWT, TUG | 8.03 ± 6.92 (years) | T 7/8, 1; T12. 2; T11/12, 1; L1, 3; L3, 1. | 3 ± 1.12 | |
| 6 | Jansen (31) | 2017 | 21 | 44.9 ± 13.4 | 15 M/6 F | wearable exoskeleton: HAL Robot Suit exoskeleton | 12 weeks (5 per week; 60 sessions scheduled) | chronic SCI | 10 MWT, 6 MWT, TUG | 6.49 ± 5.63 (years) | C4, 1; C6, 1; C7, 1; T8, 1; T10, 2; T11, 1; T12, 7; L1, 5; L2, 1; L3, 1. | 2.86 ± 1.17 | |
| 7 | Aach (32) | 2013 | 8 | 47.6 ± 8.8 | 6 M/2 F | wearable exoskeleton: HAL Robot Suit exoskeleton | 90 days period of HAL® exoskeleton (Cyberdyne Inc.) training (5 per week) | in the chronic stage of traumatic 13 spinal cord injury according to time since injury of 1 to 19 years | 10 MWT, 6 MWT, TUG | 8.03 ± 6.92 (years) | L1, 3; L2, 1; T8, 1; T11, 1; T12, 2. | 3 ± 1.12 | |
| 8 | Esclarín-Ruz (36) | 2013 | 88 | LKOGT (A1) | 43.6 (12) | 15 M/6 F | Lokomat | 30 min of conventional mobility training plus 30 min of robotic-assisted mobility training | SCI onset (upper motor neuron and lower motor neuro) | 10 MWT, 6 MWT | 125.6 (65.2) (days) | C1-8, 12;T1-6, 4; T7-11, 5. | 1.67 ± 0.47 |
| LKOGT (B1) | 36.4 (12) | 14 M/6 F | 117.9 (25.6) (days) | T12-L1, 14; L2-3, 6. | 1.67 ± 0.47 | ||||||||
| OGT (A2) | 44.9 (7) | 13 M/8 F | 60 min of conventional mobility training | 140.3 (45.5) (days) | C1-8, 12; T1-6, 4; T7-11, 5. | 1.76 ± 0.43 | |||||||
| OGT (B2) | 42.7 (18) | 17 M/4 F | 109 (50.5) (days) | T12-L1, 16; L2-3, 5. | 1.76 ± 0.43 | ||||||||
| 9 | Alcobendas-Maestro (33) | 2012 | 80 | Lokomat | 45.2 (15.5) | 62 M/38 F | Lokomat | the Lokomat group completed 30-min sessions with the Lokomat in each walking sessio | Within 3–6 Months of Incomplete Spinal Cord Lesion | 10 MWT | 120 (87.5–145) (days)# | C1-8, 22; T1-T6, 7; T7-T12. 8. | 1.68 ± 0.47 |
| Conventional | 49.5 (12.8) | 63 M/37 F | 135 (93.7–180) (days)# | C1-8, 23; T1-T6, 5; T7-T12. 10. | 1.17 ± 0.50 | ||||||||
| 10 | Varoqui (37) | 2014 | 30 | Lokomat | 50.8 (2.12) | 8 M/7 F | Lokomat | Lokomat three times a week over 4 weeks, for a total of twelve training sessions. Each session lasted 1 h, including set-up time, with between 30 and 45 min of training. | chronic SCI | 10 MWT, 6 MWT, TUG | 11.80 ± 2.54 (years) | C2-7, 11; T1-7, 4. | NA |
| Conventional | 44.65 (2.66) | 14 M/1 F | 8.09 ± 1.89 (years) | C2-7, 9; T1-7, 6. | NA | ||||||||
| 11 | Labruyère (35) | 2014 | 9 | 59 (11) | 5 M/4 F | Lokomat | Training duration per session was 45 min for both interventions (actual training time, including maximally 2 breaks of 1–2 min during RAGT, and including warming-up during strength training and breaks to change from one exercise to the next). | Chronic iSCI (time after injury >1 y) and sensorimotor incomplete | 10 MWT | 50 ± 56 (mo) | C4, 2; C5, 2; C6, 1; T4, 1; T8, 1; T11, 2. | 1.5 | |
| 12 | Tang (34) | 2014 | 30 | Lokomat | 38.1 (7.1) | 30 M | Lokomat | The training time of Lokomat groups was 40 min. | incomplete spinal cord injury | 10 MWT | NA | NA | NA |
| Ergo_bike | 39.2 (8.1) | ||||||||||||
M, male; F, female; SCI, spinal cord inury; MWT, meter walk test; TUG, timed up and go test; H-MEX, Hyundai Medical Exoskeleton; HAL, hybrid assistive limb. #, median (interquartile range).