Clinical Utility of Exoskeleton Robot Training in Patients With Septic Arthritis After a Thermal Injury: A Case Report

Bone and/or joint infections, such as septic arthritis (SA), are rare, but delayed diagnosis or improper treatment can result in irreversible joint destruction. Therefore, early diagnosis and effective treatment are necessary to prevent severe outcomes. Clear protocols for SA rehabilitation are unavailable, and physiotherapy studies are few. Robot training in patients with musculoskeletal diseases, including burns, can reduce pain and improve lower extremity function. Studies on robot training have been conducted in patients with burn injuries. Rebless® (H-ROBOTICS, KOREA) is a knee or ankle robot for range of motion (ROM) and strength training that can operate in passive or active mode in knee or ankle flexion and extension.

Patients who underwent split thickness skin graft (STSG) at Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, diagnosed with septic arthritis, aged >18 years, when weight bearing is not possible during intravenous antibiotic treatment in this study. This study excluded patients who had musculoskeletal diseases (fracture, amputation, rheumatoid arthritis, and degenerative joint diseases) involving the burned lower extremity. Patients with cognitive disorders, intellectual impairment before burn injury, serious cardiac dysfunction, problems with body weight ≥100 kg due to the belt length for fixing the thigh and calf, severe fixed contracture, skin disorders that could be worsened by RAGT, and severe pain who were unable to undergo rehabilitation programs were excluded.

The patients underwent 30 min of robot training using Rebless® with 30 min conventional therapy, 5 days a week for 8 weeks.

This study aims to confirm the clinical effect after 8 weeks of robotic treatment for patients diagnosed with septic arthritis.