Case Report: Description of two fractures during the use of a powered exoskeleton

This article reports two cases of bone fractures during exoskeleton usage: one during home use and one during an in-hospital training session. The first case concerns a 47-year-old woman with T12 AIS A SCI. Her exoskeleton shut down unexpectedly probably causing a misalignment of the joints of her lower extremities relative to the joints of the exoskeleton, which resulted in a fracture of her left tibia. The second case involves a 39-year-old man with L1 AIS B SCI. An unexpected fracture of the right distal tibia occurred without a specific prior (traumatic) incident.

• 1
  Unexpected shutdown of exoskeleton can cause misalignment and fractures. The first case involved a woman whose exoskeleton shut down unexpectedly, leading to a fracture due to misalignment of joints.
• 2
  Fractures can occur even without a specific incident. The second case involved a man who experienced a fracture during training without any specific traumatic event.
• 3
  Proper alignment and awareness of osteoporosis are crucial. The study emphasizes the importance of proper alignment of the exoskeleton and awareness of the risk of fractures in individuals with osteopenia or osteoporosis.