Perineural leads and burst stimulation optimize contraction of skeletal muscle

Electrode position and stimulation mode were hypothesized to be independent variables for the contractile response of skeletal muscle. Perineural and intramuscular electrodes were tested with single and burst pulse generators. Voltage requirements and muscle force generation were measured. Perineural leads improved the efficiency of stimulation for muscle contraction and yielded reduced threshold and plateau voltages compared to intramuscular leads. There were no differences between the different types of perineural leads. Burst stimulation had a wider range of voltage for muscle fiber recruitment and was confirmed to elicit greater maximal force than single stimulation.