Background: Multiple fractures, particularly femoral fractures, are increasingly prevalent and associated with high mortality rates and significant functional impairments. This highlights the urgent need for effective rehabilitation strategies, such as robot-assisted training, to enhance recovery and improve quality of life. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of robotassisted rehabilitation for multiple femoral fractures. Design: Single-subject design. Methods: A 15-day A-B-A' single-subject design was employed. A man in his 30s with multiple fractures underwent standard rehabilitation during the baseline (A) and regression baseline (A') phases, with robotic therapy introduced during the intervention phase (B). Daily assessments of mobility and balance were analyzed using the two-standard deviation method. Results: Robotic therapy led to significant improvements: the TUG test time decreased from 16.21±0.64 seconds (A) to 10.63±0.46 seconds (B) and 9.64±0.35 seconds (A'). The 10 MWT time improved from 6.31±0.64 seconds (A) to 5.41±0.17 seconds (B) and 5.01±0.12 seconds (A'). LOS increased from 364.01±35.83 cm² (A) to 484.67±29.97 cm² (B) and 518.03±18.82 cm² (A'). Plantar pressure imbalance (59.2% right, 40.8% left in A) was corrected to nearly equal distribution in B (49.4%/50.6%) and A' (50.8%/49.2%). Conclusion: Robotic rehabilitation therapy improves balance and weightbearing capacity in patients with multiple fractures, suggesting its effectiveness as an early intervention following bone union.
Mecoprop-p, a chlorophenoxy herbicide, has been widely used since the 1980s. Due to its high water solubility, it could be detected in the aquatic environment, as it has already been detected in the surface water or groundwater in several countries. The toxicity of other chlorophenoxy herbicides has been reported; however, there are few studies on the toxicity of mecoprop-p, one of the chlorophenoxy herbicides, on aquatic organisms. Here, we investigated the toxic effects of mecoprop-p using zebrafish. After mecoprop-p exposure, we observed that the zebrafish larvae eyes did not form normally, heart edema was generated, and the body length was shortened. The number of cells undergoing apoptosis also increased in the anterior part including head, heart, and yolk sac of the mecoprop-p-treated zebrafish compared to the untreated controls. Moreover, cardiovascular structures, including the heart and aortic arches, were also malformed after exposure to mecoprop-p. Therefore, our results suggest that mecoprop-p could cause abnormal development in zebrafish larvae and there is also a high possibility that mecoprop-p would be toxic to other aquatic organisms.