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Critical Reviews™ in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine

ISSN for PRINT: 0896-2960

Institutional price:	$684.00
Issues per year:	4

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2007, Volume19

84 pages

DOI: 10.1615/CritRevPhysRehabilMed.v19.i4

Issue price - $190.00

Surface FES-Assisted Walking

Crt Marincek
Institute for Rehabilitation, Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Tadej Bajd
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

ABSTRACT

This review investigates the objective evidence of benefits derived from surface functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted gait for people after complete and incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, and cerebral palsy. FES cannot be considered as a functional mobility aid but it can enhance cardiorespiratory fitness in complete SCI subjects. FES can offer even more benefits in walking ability for people with incomplete SCI injuries or stroke. It can be efficiently combined with treadmill and body weight support. Voluntary muscle strength and endurance gain can be achieved through FES-assisted gait training together with increased gait velocity in the absence of an electrical stimulator.