Spinal implant and robot suit help paralyzed patients take steps
NCT ID NCT06881134
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested a new rehabilitation approach for people with spinal cord injury. Ten participants received a spinal cord stimulation implant and used a robotic exoskeleton to help them walk. The goal was to improve leg muscle strength and overall quality of life. The combination of these two technologies aims to boost recovery beyond what either can do alone.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- spinal cord stimulation device and robotic exoskeleton
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this combination therapy could help people with spinal cord injury regain leg movement and improve bladder and bowel control, enhancing daily life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early exploratory study with only 10 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapy requires surgery and may not work for all types of spinal cord injury.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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10 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2024
- Finished
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Mar 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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14 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Aged between 14 and 65 years, with no restriction on gender; * Diagnosed with spinal cord injury resulting in lower limb motor impairment due to trauma, inflammation, tumors, vascular diseases, iatrogenic factors, or other causes, confirmed through medical history, physical examination, and auxiliary tests; * Diagnosed with spinal cord injury for at least 6 months, undergoing continuous routine rehabilitation for at least 1 month (including but not limited to physical therapy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, etc., with daily training time ≥ 3 hours), but with no significant improvement in motor function over the past 2 months; * Classified according to the ASIA impairment scale (AIS) based on the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI), with an impairment grade of A, B, or C; * Generally in good health, with an expected life expectancy of ≥ 12 months; * The subject voluntarily agrees to participate in the study, signs an informed consent form, demonstrates good compliance, and is willing to cooperate with follow-up assessments. Exclusion Criteria: * Suffering from other diseases affecting lower limb muscle function besides spinal cord injury, including brain diseases (such as brain tumors, stroke, etc.), lower limb vascular diseases (such as lower limb vascular occlusion), peripheral nerve diseases, lower limb bone diseases (such as osteoarthritis, joint contractures, etc.); * Congenital or acquired abnormalities in lower limb skeletal or muscular structure; * Presence of surgical contraindications (such as adverse reactions to anesthesia, bleeding risks, or when the surgeon deems the patient unsuitable for surgery); * Presence of active implanted devices, such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug infusion pump, cochlear implant, sacral nerve stimulator, etc. (whether turned on or off); * Unable to undergo implantation of active devices due to treatment or examination requirements for other diseases; * Suffering from severe cardiovascular diseases: ischemic heart disease or myocardial infarction of class II or higher, uncontrolled arrhythmias (including QTc interval ≥450 ms for males or ≥470 ms for females); heart failure of NYHA class III-IV, or echocardiogram showing left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \<50%; * Coagulation dysfunction (INR \>1.5 ULN or PT \>ULN +4 seconds or APTT \>1.5 ULN), bleeding tendency, or currently receiving thrombolytic or anticoagulant therapy; * Severe infection within 4 weeks prior to surgery (such as requiring intravenous antibiotics, antifungals, or antivirals) or soft tissue infection in the lumbar or back region, or unexplained fever \>38.5°C during screening or before surgery; * Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection or known acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), active pulmonary tuberculosis, active hepatitis B (HBV DNA ≥500 IU/ml), hepatitis C (positive hepatitis C antibody, and HCV-RNA levels above the detection threshold), or co-infection with both hepatitis B and C; * Severe cerebrovascular events (including transient ischemic attacks, intracerebral hemorrhage, or ischemic stroke), deep vein thrombosis, or pulmonary embolism within 12 months prior to enrollment; * Presence of metastatic malignant tumors or untreated malignant tumors; * Major surgery or severe traumatic injury, fractures, or ulcers within 4 weeks prior to enrollment; * Presence of addictive behaviors such as drug abuse or alcoholism; * History of substance abuse of psychiatric drugs that cannot be discontinued, or presence of mental disorders; * Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, women planning pregnancy, or women of childbearing age without reliable contraception; * Presence of cognitive impairments or other factors preventing the patient from following treatment interventions and rehabilitation training; * Situations that increase the risk associated with participation in the study or the study devices, and other conditions judged by the investigator that would make the patient unsuitable for inclusion in the study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University
Beijing, Beijing Municipality, 100053, China
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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