Restoring unassisted natural gait to paraplegics via functional neuromuscular stimulation: a computer simulation study

Abstract

Functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) of paralyzed muscles has enabled spinal-cord-injured patients to regain a semblance of lower-extremity control, for example to ambulate while relying heavily on the use of walkers. Given the limitations of FNS, specifically low muscle strengths, high rates of fatigue, and a limited ability to modulate muscle excitations, it remains unclear, however, whether FNS can be developed as a practical means to control the lower extremity musculature to restore aesthetic, unsupported gait to paraplegics. A computer simulation of FNS-assisted bipedal gait shows that it is difficult, but possible to attain undisturbed, level gait at normal speeds provided the electrically-stimulated ankle plantarflexors exhibit either near-normal strengths or are augmented by an orthosis, and at least seven muscle-groups in each leg are stimulated. A combination of dynamic programming and an open-loop, trial-and-error adjustment process was used to find a suboptimal set of discretely-varying muscle stimulation patterns needed for a 3-D, 8 degree-of-freedom dynamic model to sustain a step. An ankle-foot orthosis was found to be especially useful, as it helped to stabilize the stance leg and simplified the task of controlling the foot during swing. It is believed that the process of simulating natural gait with this model will serve to highlight difficulties to be expected during laboratory and clinical trials.