[Value of functional electrostimulation in patients with paraplegia]

This 1-year follow-up study included 17 patients with spinal cord injuries who participated in a functional electrical stimulation (FES) program for restoration of the ability to stand and walk. Four tetraplegic patients reached a mean FES-assisted standing duration of 6.8 min after 6 weeks. After 1 year three patients had stopped FES-assisted standing due to orthostatic problems and only used the system for cyclic stimulation of quadriceps muscles while lying down. Ten paraplegic patients had a mean standing duration of 22.6 min. The gait velocity (gait distance) of seven patients ranged from 2.9 to 24.2 m/min (from 4 to 335 m) in seven patients. Due to flexor spasm in two and unrealistic expectations in seven cases, four patients stopped the program and five only practiced FES-assisted standing. One patient continued FES walking after 1 year. Three patients with an incomplete cervical lesion who had been able to walk a short distance before treatment achieved constant improvement their gait ability. Their gait velocity/walking distance without FES improved for a mean of +33.3%/+163.8%, after 6 weeks. Assuming that FES is used according to the level of impairment, the results favor broader application of the method in the rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injuries.