Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1999, 187 (4)

Restoration of Shoulder Movement in Quadriplegic and Hemiplegic Patients by Functional Electrical Stimulation Using Percutaneous Multiple Electrodes

JUNICHI KAMEYAMA, YASUNOBU HANDA, NOZOMU HOSHIMIYA1 and MINORU SAKURAI2

Department of Anatomy and Advanced Medical Science Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, 1Department of Electrical Communication, Faculty of Engeneering, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, and 2Department of Orthopeadic Surgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574

  • The purpose of this study is to restore the motion of the paralyzed shoulder caused by upper motor neuron disorders using functional electrical stimulation (FES). Percutaneous wire electrodes were implanted into twelve muscles of the shoulder in six patients with stroke or cervical spinal cord injury. The motion of the paralyzed shoulder was controlled by a portable FES computer system, with the three standard stimulation patterns for restoring motion of 90° flexion to 90° horizontal abduction, 90° flexion to 20° horizontal adduction, and 90° abduction to 90° horizontal adduction. Shoulder movements were repeatedly controlled according to the created stimulation patterns in five of the patients. The two dimensional motion analyzer also confirmed shoulder control over a satisfactorily broad range of excursion. One hemiplegic patient, who was a signboard painter, had his paretic left upper extremity improved by FES, and he drew a large picture on a board with his normal right hand and, with his affected left arm against the wall, to support his trunk. This may be a world first case of producing shoulder motion through FES.
    Key words--- functional electrical stimulation; shoulder motion; quadriplegic patient; hemiplegic patient
    © 1999 Tohoku University Medical Press

    Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1999, 187, 329-337
    Present address for Junichi Kameyama, M. D., Department of Orthopeadic, Tohoku Rosai Hospital, 4-3-21 Dainohara, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8563, Japan.
    For reprints request, contact J. Kameyama at the address above.

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