The aim of this study ultimately is verifying that PGO gait is more efficient than RGO for paraplegics because the air muscle assists hip flexion power in heel off movement. The gait characteristics of the paraplegic wearing the PGO or RGO are compared with that of a normal person. PGO with air muscles was used to analyze the walking of patients with lower-limb paralysis, and the results showed that the hip joint flexion and pelvic tilt angle decreased in PGO. In comparison to RGO gait, which is propelled by the movements of the back, PGO uses air muscles, which decreases the movement in the upper limb from a stance phase rate of 79±4%(RGO) to 68±8%. The energy consumption rate was 8.65±3.3 (㎖/min/㎏) for RGO, while it decreased to 7.2±2.5(㎖/min/㎏) for PGO. The results from this study show that PGO decreases energy consumption while providing support for patients with lower-limb paralysis, and it is helpful in walking for extended times.
