Electric trousers that could help disabled people to walk

EVERY year, about 100,000 Britons suffer a stroke, three-quarters of whom will be left with leg weakness and problems walking.

But help could soon be at hand, thanks to a pair of battery-powered trousers, pictured left.

The support system, known as an exoskeleton, can be worn over the top of users’ clothes. Discreet straps and splints attach to the calves, while footplates inserted into a specially designed pair of shoes assist ankle movement.

Powered by a motor worn around the waist, they support the patient and assist movement while walking.

The system, created by US medical firm Biomotum, has already been tested on children with cerebral palsy, a neurological disease which severely weakens muscles. These trials have shown that the exoskeleton can significantly improve walking function.

Biomotum’s Zach Lerner says the next step will be to trial the exoskeleton on adults with other neurological conditions, adding: ‘We’ve done preliminary testing with stroke patients, Parkinson’s patients, spinal cord patients and even otherwise healthy adults in their 70s and 80s who have lost some muscle function over time. Right now, for these patients, treatment options are very limited, but we believe we can make a real difference with this device.

‘It might mean grandma can go on a hike which she couldn’t do before.’

As Lerner explains, leg muscle issues are closely linked with problems with the brain. ‘When you suffer a brain injury of some sort, it tends to be the muscles which are furthest away which are most affected,’ he says. ‘Sufferers often experience a loss of ankle strength and their leg muscles will struggle to support them.’