Author/Editor     Rozman, J; Krajnik, J; Tekavčič, I
Title     Selective stimulation of the common peroneal nerve: correction of drop foot in three patients
Type     članek
Source     Eur J Phys Med Rehabil
Vol. and No.     Letnik 7, št. 3
Publication year     1997
Volume     str. 75-80
Language     eng
Abstract     An implantable system with a monopolar half-cuff for selective stimulation of the comon peroneal nerve is evaluated in this paper. The results of gait analysis of 2 of 3 hemiplegic patients with implanted stimulatior are presented. Several stimuli affecting a selective stimulation of the superficial region of the human common peroneal nerve are proposed in this work: current, change balanced. and biphasic pulses with a rectangular cathodic component, and an exponentially decaying anodic component delayed for 50 micro s. Half-cuf electrodes have shown to be suited for producing long-term selective activatio of mainly those muscles that contribute to strong dorsal flexion and moderate eversion of the hemiplegic foot. Moreover, significant improvements of fait without excessive eversion were observed. Gait analyses in 2 patients showed a significant increase in the velocity, cadence, and stride length of natural gait. This incrased velocity of gait was achieved by an improvement in all parameters of time and length of the left and right steps. With their gait stimulated, the patients' step parameters (step, stance, swing,double support durations, and step lenght) shifted towards normal parameters, even though the patients' natural gait was still slower than that of healthy individuals. It was also found that the peaks of both the dorsal/plantar and inversion/eversion angular velocities of the unstimulated foot were higher than the peaks of angular velocity of the stimulated foot. Therefore, the contraction velocities of the anterior tibial and long peroneal muscles were much higher without than with stimulation.
Descriptors     HEMIPLEGIA
PERONEAL NERVE
ELECTRIC STIMULATION THERAPY
GAIT
NEURAL CONDUCTION
MOTOR NEURONS
ELECTRODES, IMPLANTED