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Electrically stimulated elbow extension in persons with C5/C6 tetraplegia: a functional and physiological evaluation
A M Bryden1, W D Memberg, P E Crago
1The Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center, Louis B. Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center, OH, USA.
Objective:
To measure the effect of electrically stimulated triceps on elbow extension strength, range of motion, and the performance of overhead reaching tasks.
Setting:
Clinical research laboratory.
Participants:
Four individuals with spinal cord injuries at the C5 or C6 motor level.
Interventions:
The participants, who already had an implanted upper extremity neuroprosthesis, were provided with elbow extension through functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the triceps brachii.
Main Outcome Measures:
Comparisons of stimulated elbow extension to voluntary elbow extension: (1) evaluations of impairment such as range of motion and strength; (2) performance of a set of functional overhead reaching tasks that required elbow extension; (3) a usage survey (conducted by telephone) to examine use of triceps stimulation in the home and community.
Results:
All participants achieved greater range of motion and strength of elbow extension with stimulated triceps versus without. Overall functional task performance improved in 100% of the tasks tested for all but one participant, who showed improvement in 60% of the tasks. Participants reported using the triceps in at least one activity for at least 90% of the days the neuroprosthesis was donned.