Portable robots for upper-limb rehabilitation after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted upper-limb rehabilitation has been studied for many years, with many randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of robotic-assisted training on affected limbs. The current trend directs towards end-effector devices. However, most studies have focused on the effectiveness of rehabilitation devices, but studies on device sizes are relatively few.

GOAL: Systematically review the effect of a portable rehabilitation robot (PRR) on the rehabilitation effectiveness of paralysed upper limbs compared with non-robotic therapy.

METHODS: A meta-analysis was conducted on literature that included the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) obtained from the PubMed and Web of Science (WoS) electronic databases until June 2023.

RESULTS: A total of 9 studies, which included RCTs, were completed and a meta-analysis was conducted on 8 of them. The analysis involved 295 patients. The influence on upper-limb function before and after treatment in a clinical environment is analysed by comparing the experimental group using the portable upper-limb rehabilitation robot with the control group using conventional therapy. The result shows that portable robots prove to be effective (FMA: SMD = 0.696, 95% = 0.099 to.293, p  < 0.05).

DISCUSSION: Both robot-assisted and conventional rehabilitation effects are comparable. In some studies, PRR performs better than conventional rehabilitation, but conventional treatments are still irreplaceable. Smaller size with better portability has its advantages, and portable upper-limb rehabilitation robots are feasible in clinical rehabilitation.

CONCLUSION: Although portable upper-limb rehabilitation robots are clinically beneficial, few studies have focused on portability. Further research should focus on modular design so that rehabilitation robots can be decomposed, which benefits remote rehabilitation and household applications.