We evaluated the efficacy of rehabilitation
therapy with Hybrid Assistive Limb® (HAL; hereafter HAL
therapy) in three patients diagnosed with
sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) who were hospitalized to undergo HAL
therapy. Among them, one patient participated in eight courses and the other two in two courses of HAL
therapy between 2017 and 2020. We determined the mean rate of improvement in two-minute walking distance and 6 m walking speed at the time of hospital discharge. After HAL
therapy, we confirmed the patients' desire to continue the use of HAL. In one patient, we observed improvements of 146.0% and 120.0% in two-minute walk and 6 m walking speed, respectively, after the first course of HAL
therapy; these values are 133.7% and 130% after the eighth course of HAL
therapy. These values exceeded 90% in the other two patients after the second course of HAL
therapy. HAL
therapy maintained both quantity and quality of ambulation and showed positive psychological effects on patient conditions because it reduces exercise load and facilitates safety. While HAL
therapy might be effective in maintaining and improving ambulation in patients with sIBM, we should consider to discontinue HAL
therapy as it increased risk of falling.