Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of shank muscle stimulation on ankle joint
excursion during passive and functional electrical stimulation (FES) leg cycling.
DESIGN: Within-subject comparisons. SETTING: Laboratory setting. PARTICIPANTS:
Well-trained FES cyclists (N=7) with chronic spinal cord injuries. INTERVENTIONS:
Two experimental sessions were performed on an isokinetic FES cycle ergometer
with a pedal boot that allowed the ankle to plantarflex and dorsiflex during
cycling. During the first session, the optimal stimulation timings to induce
plantarflexion and dorsiflexion were investigated by systematically altering the
stimulation angles of the shank muscles (tibialis anterior [TA] and triceps surae
[TS]). During the second session, TA and TS stimulation was included with
standard FES cycling (quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals) for 6 subjects. MAIN
OUTCOME MEASURES: Ankle, knee, and hip movements were analyzed using
2-dimensional video. RESULTS: The ankle excursions during passive cycling were 19
degrees +/-6 degrees . TA and TS stimulation increased ankle joint excursion up
to 33 degrees +/-10 degrees and 27 degrees +/-7 degrees , respectively. Compared
with passive cycling, ankle joint excursion was not significantly increased
during standard FES cycling (24 degrees +/-7 degrees ). TA and TS stimulation
significantly increased the ankle excursion when applied during standard FES cycling (41 degrees +/-4 degrees ). CONCLUSIONS: Freeing the ankle joint to
rotate during FES cycling was found to be safe. The combination of shank muscle
stimulation and repetitive ankle joint movement may be beneficial for improving
ankle flexibility and leg conditioning. Further research is required to test and
design ankle supports that might maximize the benefits of shank muscle activation.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS