Physiother Res Int. 2026 Apr;31(2):e70195. doi: 10.1002/pri.70195.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Children diagnosed with diplegic cerebral palsy frequently experience gait difficulties that can significantly affect their independence and quality of life. The development of advanced technologies presents opportunities to enhance their walking abilities and overall functional performance. The purpose of this study was to determine how children with spastic diplegia performed when walking after completing robotic-assisted treadmill gait training (RATGT).
METHODS: Forty children with spastic diplegia participated in this randomized controlled trial. Their ages ranged from 6 to 11 years, and they were able to ambulate and displayed abnormal gait kinematics. They were randomly classified into two groups of equal number; the control group (A) received a regular physical therapy program based on the neurodevelopmental approach, while the study group (B) received RATGT using Lokomat in addition to the regular physical therapy program. Biodex Gait Trainer II was used to assess walking speed, step length, step symmetry, and the 6-min walk test to assess walking capacity for each group before and after the treatment program.
RESULTS: There was statistically significant improvement of all measured variables in group B (p < 0.05), with significant difference between groups when comparing post-treatment mean values of all measured variables (p < 0.05).
DISCUSSION: These findings suggested that RATGT could be used as an additional therapeutic modality to improve walking performance in children with spastic diplegia.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registration number from the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR) — PACTR202503598420671.
PMID:41830908 | DOI:10.1002/pri.70195
