FES treatment of lower extremities of patients with upper / lower motor neuron lesion: A comparison of rehabilitation strategies and stimulation equipment

Abstract

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) of lower extremities in patients suffering from paraplegia can be used to restore standing up from the wheelchair, standing, walking / stepping and sitting down. Usually only patients with an intact lower motor neuron (spastic paraplegia) can benefit while patients with flaccid paralysis are excluded due to the inexistent or very weak force response to electrical stimulation. The European Union (EU) supported project “Rise” investigated FES to recover long term denervated degenerated muscles (DDM). It turned out that this patient group can achieve similar goals like spastic paraplegics but require a longer rehabilitation course and stimulation parameters beyond the current EU regulations.