Implantable spinal cord stimulator allows voluntary movement in individuals with lower-extremity paralysis

摘要

An "off-the-shelf" implantable spinal cord stimulator currently used to treat chronic neuropathic pain may provide a novel strategy to foster recovery of neurological function in patients with chronic complete paralysis from spinal cord injury. A recently published case series involving 4 patients with complete lower-extremity motor paralysis showed that epidural spinal cord stimulation in conjunction with intensive movement training over a period of up to 2 years resulted in theability to intentionally execute movements of the lower extremities, in-cluding toe flexion and extension, ankle dorsiflexion, knee flexion, and hip flexion (Angeli CAet al. Brain. 2014;137[5]:1394-1409). These movements were seen clinically and confirmed by both electromyographical and tensile force data. The stimulator devices were implanted 2 to 4 years after injury.