Effectiveness of myoelectric wearable orthoses for upper extremity functional recovery in spinal cord injury– a pilot study

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to severe upper extremity (UE) impairments, limiting activities of daily living (ADLs) and independence. The overall goal of this pilot study was to evaluate a myoelectric-powered wearable orthosis (MPWO, MyoPro, MyoMo Inc.) for improving handgrip strength and active range of motion (AROM) in persons with chronic incomplete SCI. Ten participants with chronic cervical iSCI (mean age 53 years, AIS B-D) were randomized into three groups: Clinic-only MPWO (n = 3), Home + Clinic MPWO (n = 4), or Control traditional occupational therapy (TOT), (n = 3). All groups received 18 training sessions over 6 weeks (3×/week, ~ 60 min/session). Outcome measures included handgrip AROM and maximal grip force, assessed before and after training. Participants in the MPWO groups demonstrated substantial improvements in handgrip AROM and strength compared to baseline. On the MPWO-trained side, average increases of ~ 30-37% were observed in maximum handgrip AROM and ~ 28-30% in maximum grip force after training. The Home + Clinic MPWO group tended to exhibit the greatest gains. The non- MPWO trained (contralateral) side in the MPWO groups also showed indirect improvements, with modest increases of ~ 7-12% in AROM and grip force measures (suggesting a possible cross-education effect). In contrast, the TOT control group showed minimal changes (< 10% on average). These preliminary results indicate that UE-MPWO-assisted rehabilitation - especially when combined with at-home use - may enhance hand function in persons with chronic cervical SCI.