Assessment of the Interest of the Atalante Device for Patients With Manual Wheelchairs

The loss of standing and walking capabilities in a paraplegic person is most often the result of damage to the spinal cord, either traumatic (accidental) or pathological and has both a somatic and a psychological impact on the quality of life, the risk of depression, and the difficulty of socio-professional reintegration in a society that is not adapted to people with disabilities. A motorized mechanical exoskeleton is an external device intended to compensate for a muscular or neurological deficiency enabling paraplegics to stand and walk again. The Atalante exoskeleton, designed by Wandercraft company allows patients to stand upright and walk without the aid of crutches. This early study was the first clinical investigation of the Atalante exoskeleton performed early in the development. It was used to evaluate the device design concept with respect to initial clinical safety and device functionality and guided further device modifications.