The effect of lower limb functional electrical stimulation on gait of children with cerebral palsy.

摘要

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of lower limb functional electrical stimulation (FES) in children with cerebral palsy. METHODS: A comprehensive search yielded 37 citations. English articles included in the review applied either surface or percutaneous FES to the lower limb, if subjects were younger than 18 years old, and if the stimulator was removed or off at the time of testing. RESULTS: Five articles were included in this review, including 3 case reports, 1 single subject, and 1 crossover design. Among the wide range of stimulation protocols, stimulation of the gastrocnemius with or without the tibialis anterior muscle may effect greater gait improvements than stimulating the tibialis anterior muscle alone. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: Future research differentiating between optimal FES and neuromuscular electrical stimulation protocols as well as more rigorous research designs are needed to provide clinically relevant results.