Concurrent Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of the Walkbot-K System for Robotic Gait Training
Dong R. Leea, Yoon K. Shinb, and Joshua H. Youb*
aDepartment of Physical Therapy, Honam University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea bMovement Healing Lab., Department of Physical Therapy Program, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
Abstract.
BACKGROUND: During the adults’ robotic-assisted gait training systems have rapidly gained widespread acceptance among rehabilitation specialists as a promising gait training paradigm in dysfunction, the validity and reliability for the children’s robotic-assisted gait training system has not been well established.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the validity and test-retest reliability of the innovative exoskeletal Walkbot-K system which is designed to help the active development and learning of fundamental locomotor skills in children with locomotor impairments.
METHODS: The real-time motion analysis system was used concurrently to compare the sagittal kinematic angular displacement data with that of the Walkbot-K system as a reference standard measure.
RESULTS: Neuromechanical data obtained from kinematic measurement produced an excellent validity (R2 =0.889). The test-retest reliability for kinematic knee angle data showed a remarkable consistency (r = 0.999 – 1.000).
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first compelling evidence of the children’s robotic gait assisted Walkbot-K system’s validity and reliability, indicating that the system is a highly valid, and reliable robotic-assisted gait training system to evaluate and treat locomotor dysfunction in children.
Keywords: Robotic-assisted gait training, locomotor dysfunction, cerebral palsy, validity, reliability
2. Concurrent validity and test retest reliablity of the novel Walkbot K system.pdf