Effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation on walking speed, functional walking category, and clinically...

To determine the effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation (FES) on drop foot in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), using data from standard clinical practice.

Case series with a consecutive sample of FES users collected between 2008 and 2013.

Specialist FES center at a district general hospital.

Patients with MS who have drop foot (N=187) (117 women, 70 men; mean age, 55y [range, 27-80y]; mean duration since diagnosis, 11.7y [range, 1-56y]). A total of 166 patients were still using FES after 20 weeks, with 153 patients completing the follow-up measures.

FES of the common peroneal nerve (178 unilateral, 9 bilateral FES users).

Clinically meaningful changes (ie, >.05m/s and >0.1m/s) and functional walking category derived from 10-m walking speed.

An increase in walking speed was found to be highly significant (P<.001), both initially where a minimum clinically meaningful change was observed (.07m/s) and after 20 weeks with a substantial clinically meaningful change (.11m/s). After 20 weeks, treatment responders displayed a 27% average improvement in their walking speed. No significant training effect was found. Overall functional walking category was maintained or improved in 95% of treatment responders.

FES of the dorsiflexors is a well-accepted intervention that enables clinically meaningful changes in walking speed, leading to a preserved or an increased functional walking category.