Background: Robotic-assisted gait training, a viable and promising therapeutic option for neurological rehabilitation, is not widely adopted in developing countries because of its high cost. In this paper, we describe the concept and construction of a low-cost robot prototype to restore walking ability in children with neurological dysfunction. Methods: The proposed robot consists of an orthosis, a treadmill, a body weight support system and two ankle guidance systems that move the ankles along a physiological kinematic trajectory. The spatiotemporal gait parameters of 60 children with typical development and children with cerebral palsy (aged 7-10 years) were obtained through clinical tests and compared with those provided by the robot. Results: The robotic orthosis presents normative values for stride length, step length and cadence during the typical development of children's gait speed and allows speed adjustments according to the degree of neuromotor impairment. Conclusion:The results evidence the high feasibility of developing a low-complexity rehabilitation device compliant with the physiological trajectory of the ankle as well as with several other physiological gait parameters.

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to validate a novel model of resting hand splint manufactured by additive manufacturing (AM) and compare it with the traditional model manufactured by high temperature thermoplastic in terms of cost, weight, volume and thermal comfort. Design/methodology/approach A novel resting hand splint model was created from the topology optimization (TO) and analyzed, by finite-element analysis, manufacturing cost and weight, with a traditional resting hand splint. A pilot clinical study was carried out to verify heat diffusion during the use of the two splints. Findings The results showed that compared with the traditional model, the novel model reduced the volume of material used by 35.48%, the weight of the orthosis by 17.56% and the maximum surface deformation by 171.17% when subjected to actuation forces. It was also verified that, when manufactured with Nylon by AM, the new model is 1.5 times cheaper than the traditional model made of Polypropylene. The result of the thermographic analysis showed greater temperature variation in the use of the traditional splint (+4.6°C) compared to the temperature variation observed in the nylon splint (2.1°C). Practical implications These results have as clinical relevance the demonstration of the feasibility of manufacturing functional orthoses that are more comfortable, cheaper and lighter than traditional ones. Originality/value This study describes the use of TO to manufacture a novel resting hand splint, which was compared with the commonly used traditional splint in terms of mechanical resistance, weight, cost and thermal comfort.

Crianças com paralisia cerebral (PC) frequentemente utilizam dispositivos de mobilidade como facilitadores de sua funcionalidade e independência, o que impacta positivamente também na qualidade de vida do cuidador. Considerando a abordagem da prática centrada na família, os pais assumem papel decisivo em diferentes etapas do processo terapêutico, norteando diversas ações de profissionais da área da reabilitação na busca, desenvolvimento e/ou adaptação de equipamentos que atendam às necessidades específicas da clientela interessada. Neste estudo objetivou-se compreender a percepção dos pais de crianças com PC sobre a utilização da cadeira de rodas no cotidiano de seus filhos. O presente estudo qualitativo utilizou entrevistas semiestruturadas com 16 pais de crianças cadeirantes com paralisia cerebral, atendidas na Associação Mineira de Reabilitação. Análise de conteúdo pautou a categorização de temas que emergiram das entrevistas. Os resultados expressos nas categorias temáticas "O olhar sobre o uso cotidiano" e "O olhar sobre o equipamento" apontaram características relacionadas aos benefícios do uso da cadeira de rodas na promoção da participação da criança nos ambientes de casa, escola e comunidade, bem como diferentes aspectos da cadeira de rodas que favoreceram e dificultaram a sua utilização no dia a dia dessas crianças.