Effects of Powered Hip Flexion Device in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis

July 20, 2026 updated by: Kurt Jackson, University of Dayton

The Effects of a Powered Hip Flexion Orthosis on Gait in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: a Case Series

The purpose of this study is to assess the immediate effects of a commercially available non-FDA regulated powered hip flexion assist device (Hypershell X, Shenzhen, China) on walking ability in persons with MS. The main question it aims to answer is: Does a powered hip flexion device provide immediate improvements in walking ability over short distances for people with MS?

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently experience problems with walking that may include difficulty with advancing the leg during the swing phase of gait which can lead to a loss of independence and a higher risk of falls. To improve walking ability in this population, devices such as ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) are commonly used. However, recent advances in technology and robotics have led to the development of affordable and commercially available battery powered exoskeletons marketed towards improving activities such as hiking, running and cycling. There is emerging but limited evidence that hip flexion-assisting devices can modify kinematics and muscle activity during gait in people with MS, with several small-scale studies showing tolerability and shifts toward more normal hip motion during walking. However, there are no studies on the use of new commercially available powered hip flexion assist devices. Therefore, the purpose of this case series is to assess the immediate effects on walking ability of a commercially available, non-FDA regulated, powered hip flexion assist device (Hypershell X, Shenzhen, China).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
10

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-80
  • Diagnosis of relapsing remitting, primary progressive or secondary progressive MS
  • Unilateral or bilateral hip flexion weakness (Manual muscle testing score of 3 or less)
  • Ability to walk at least 30 meters without requiring rest and without physical support or assistance from another person.
  • Waist circumference 26-48", Height 5 '- 6'2", Weight 100-230lbs

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior regular use of a hip flexion orthosis within the past 6 months.
  • Cognitive or communication deficits that would limit ability to participate safely.
  • Significant pain or deformity of the lower extremities that could impact walking ability.
  • Severe spasticity (Modified Ashworth Score of 3 or 4) of the hips or lower extremities that could impact walking ability.
  • Any other neurological conditions that may affect gait.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Hip flexion assist

Participants will perform a series of 10 meters walks while wearing the hip flexion assist device under the following conditions.

  1. No assistance (passive mode)
  2. 25% power assistance
  3. 50% power assistance
  4. 75% power assistance During the trial subjects will wear motion sensors that provide the following gait parameters: speed, step and stride length, foot clearance, foot angle at heel strike, circumduction, single and double support time.
Device: Powered Hip Flexion Orthosis (Hypershell X)
Participants will perform a series of 10 meters walks while wearing the hip flexion assist device under the following conditions. 1) No assistance (passive mode) 2) 25% power assistance 3) 50% power assistance 4) 75% power assistance During the trial subjects will wear motion sensors that provide the following gait parameters: speed, step and stride length, foot clearance, foot angle at heel strike, circumduction, single and double support time.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Gait speed
Time Frame: Day 1 (immediate effect of device use)
Gait speed measured during a 10 meter walk
Day 1 (immediate effect of device use)
Foot clearance
Time Frame: Day 1 (immediate effect of device use)
Distance that the foot clears the ground during the swing phase of gait
Day 1 (immediate effect of device use)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Step length
Time Frame: Day 1 (immediate effect of device use)
Step length as measured from heel strike of the one foot to heel strike of the other foot
Day 1 (immediate effect of device use)
Circumduction
Time Frame: Day 1 (immediate effect of device use)
Lateral excursion of of the foot during mid swing
Day 1 (immediate effect of device use)
Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST 2.0)
Time Frame: Day 1 (immediate effect of device use)
The purpose of the QUEST 2.0© questionnaire is to evaluate satisfaction with assistive device use. The questionnaire consists of 12 satisfaction items. Participants will rate their satisfaction with the Hypershell device using a scale of 1 to 5.
Day 1 (immediate effect of device use)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Dayton

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 14, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 23, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 20, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB-FY2026-240

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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