IMPROVEMENT IN STEP CLEARANCE VIA CALF MUSCLE STIMULATION

The aim is to study the influence of electrically stimulated calf musc les on the effectiveness of the swinging leg movement. The study is ca rried out with a group of patients with incomplete spinal cord injurie s both under stationary conditions and during crutch-assisted walking. Before stimulation is applied to the ankle plantar flexors,the knee e xtensors are inactivated. In each cycle, after ankle plantar flexor st imulation, peroneal stimulation is started, triggering the flexion ref lex. From a biomechanical point of view, functional electrical stimula tion (FES) of the ankle plantar flexors results in increased ground cl earance of the lower extremity. Additionally, the FES-assisted lifting of the heel results in the elimination of extensor tone and thus shor tens the swing time.