Squat Training Assisted by a Rigid-Soft Hybrid Knee Exoskeleton: A Preliminary Study

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a progressive degenerative joint disease that significantly impairs patients' activities of daily living. Squat training represents a key intervention strategy in KOA management. However, the considerable biomechanical loads on the knee joint during training and associated pain symptoms have been observed alongside consistently low patient adherence. This study proposes an exoskeleton-assisted squat training method aimed at reducing the biomechanical load on the knee joint. A comprehensive biomechanical evaluation, including joint kinematics, joint kinetics, and muscle activation patterns, was conducted in a small sample of 7 healthy male subjects under both exoskeleton-assisted and non-assisted conditions. Preliminary results indicate that exoskeleton assistance significantly reduced biomechanical loads of the knee joint during squat training. While these results highlight the feasibility of the proposed method, further validation in larger, diverse populations, including clinical samples, is warranted to confirm its therapeutic potential.