Promising Results of Pioneering Study on the Effects of Wheeleo® Published in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

Introduction :

We’re delighted to share a crucial milestone in the history of Wheeleo®: the publication of the very first scientific article on the effects of this revolutionary tool on the gait parameters of hemiparetic patients. Led by Professor Th. Deltombe, the study was carried out in collaboration with the physiotherapy departments of the Centre Hospitalier Neurologique William Lennox and CHU UCL Namur, and the results have been published in the prestigious “Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.”

Study summary:

32 people with hemiplegia took part in the experiment, performing three separate walking tests: a 10-meter test at spontaneous speed, a 10-meter test at fast speed, and a 6-minute walking test. Each of these tests was carried out twice, once with a conventional quadripod cane and a second time with the Wheeleo. Parameters measured included walking speed, cadence, energy expenditure, type of walk (2- or 3-step), and imbalance.

Key results :

10-meter test at spontaneous speed

+ 22% speed
– 19% time to cover the 10 metres
+ 19% increase in throughput
+ 22% more subjects adopt a two-step gait

10-meter test at high speed

+ 30% speed
+ 25% more subjects adopt a two-step gait

6-minute test

+ 50% speed
+ 49% increase in distance covered in 6 minutes
Measured energy expenditure remains unchanged. The Wheeleo® doesn’t cause more imbalance despite increased speed. Patient satisfaction is significantly higher with Wheeleo®.

The full article is available free of charge on the publisher‘s website.

Download the article directly: Deltombe 2020