Electrical splinting of the knee in paraplegia

Abstract

Two men with T7 and T12 complete traumatic lesions have received implants to stimulate the femoral nerves and (in the T7 case) the inferior and superior gluteal nerves. By using these continuously at 13 pulses/sec they can stand and walk, as other paraplegics do with calipers. Regular stimulation at 11 or 13 pulses/sec greatly increases the force exerted by the quadriceps femoris muscles and their resistance to fatigue, and this improvement is not lost during 2 months without stimulation.