Robotic ankle training during standing on a compliant surface improves paretic ankle motor control, postural balance, and walking in chronic stroke survivors

This study reports the effectiveness of a 6-week ankle training program using a stiffness-controlled robotic platform on paretic ankle motor control and lower extremity function in stroke patients. Two chronic stroke subjects with right hemiparesis participated in training for 12 sessions over 6 weeks. While standing on the compliant robotic platform simulating rotational stiffness comparable to ankle joint stiffness of unimpaired individuals, subjects performed visually-guided target reaching ankle movement tasks in the sagittal and frontal planes. The proposed training not only contributed to the significant improvement of paretic ankle motor control, seen by smoother and less variable ankle movements, but also led to functional improvement in postural balance and walking, evidenced by improved Berg Balance Scale and 10 Meter Walk Test scores, respectively.