{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T21:05:09Z","timestamp":1790024709074,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,25]],"date-time":"2025-09-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758758400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Collaborative Innovation Boost Project by Headquarters for International Industry-University Collaboration, University of Tsukuba"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Standing training is essential for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), yet maintaining regular practice after acute rehabilitation remains challenging. To address the need for more practical and accessible standing equipment, we developed a novel spring-assisted standing training device designed to overcome barriers to regular standing practice. This study aimed to assess the safety and feasibility of our newly developed device in individuals with SCI. Methods: Six participants with chronic SCI (neurological level of injury T4-L3, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A-C; 2 females, mean age 41.7 \u00b1 13.4 years) underwent a single session using our chair-based device incorporating passive gas spring mechanisms. We designed this device to enable independent sit-to-stand transitions without electrical power or complex controls. Primary outcomes included safety (adverse events) and feasibility (number of repetitions, Modified Borg Scale). Changes in Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) scores were assessed as exploratory measures. Results: All participants successfully completed training without adverse events. Repetitions ranged from 5 to 60 (median 37), with Modified Borg Scale ratings of 0\u20134. Notably, the participant with T4 complete injury performed the training without requiring trunk orthosis, demonstrating the device\u2019s inherent stability. MAS sum scores showed a reduction from median 8.75 to 4.25, though this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.13). Conclusions: Our newly developed spring-assisted standing training device proved safe and feasible for individuals with SCI, including those with complete thoracic injuries. The device successfully enabled independent sit-to-stand transitions with low perceived exertion, potentially addressing key barriers to regular standing practice and offering a practical rehabilitation solution.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14196767","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,25]],"date-time":"2025-09-25T08:56:44Z","timestamp":1758790604000},"page":"6767","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Development and Clinical Evaluation of Spring-Assisted Standing Training for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury: A Safety and Feasibility Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7491-4516","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yukiyo","family":"Shimizu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2953-6434","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hideki","family":"Kadone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cybernics Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8683-998X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kai","family":"Sasaki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Qolo Inc., Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9293-3531","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Masashi","family":"Yamazaki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0292-3493","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yasushi","family":"Hada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1736-5404","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kenji","family":"Suzuki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Systems, Information and Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2025, August 03). 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