UNAIR NEWS – What is Quadriplegia? It is a paralysis caused by damage to the medulla spinalis or spinal cord, resulting in interference with the source of electrical impulses.

The number of quadriplegics is very high and it is caused by trauma due to car accidents, falls, injuries while exercising, to congenital abnormalities such as muscular dystrophy (a disorder that causes muscle mass loss).

This quadriplegia–induced paralysis can cause mental burden as the functions of parts of the body are extremely reduced.

Universitas Airlangga’s  Biomedical Engineering students tried to help finding solutions to problems by utilizing the advancement of technology in the field of medicine. They made an innovation by creating an exoskeleton support tool as paralysis aids from quadriplegics.

The students are Muhammad Amin, Aisha Widayani and Rizky Widya Rachmawati. All from Biomedical Engineering Program, Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) UNAIR.

Under the guidance of their lecturers, the members of the Student Creativity Program team of Invention category (PKMKC), their proposal entitled “MYO-EXIST (Electromyography –  xoskeleton ): Arm Motion Tool for Quadriplegics” passed the selection of Dikti and obtained research grants from Kemenristekdikti in PKM 2018.

“This MYO-EXIST is an arm therapeutic aid for Quadriplegic by utilizing the patient’s muscle signal,” said Muhammad Amin, head of the PKMKC research team.

M. Amin explained by citing data from the University of Alabama, quadriplegics reached 40.8%. And according to data in Indonesia, treatment for quadriplegicsis by surgery if there is progressive neurologic disorders due to suppression.

“Therefore, the quadriplegics require proper treatment so they can restore extremity of functions,” continued Muh Amin.

Muhammad Amin and friends hoped that the output of this tool can be useful to support the skeletal motor of the quadriplegics’ muscle arm movement. “Hopefully it can be useful,” he said. (*)

Editor: Bambang Bes