Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) and Reconstructive Tetraplegia Hand and Arm Surgery (FES)
Spinal Cord Injury Cervical
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Spinal Cord Injury Cervical focused on measuring Functional Electrical Stimulation, Tetraplegia, Reconstructive Hand Surgery
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- traumatic or non-traumatic (> 6 month) spinal cord injury
- Age ≥ 18 years
- Level of lesion C4 - Th1
- American Spinal Cord Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) A/B/C/D
- Planned reconstructive hand or arm surgery at the Swiss Paraplegic Centre Nottwil
- Signed informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients during primary rehabilitation
- Patients' inability to follow the study, e.g. mental-health problems, language problems, dementia etc.
- Pregnancy (anamnestic)
Sites / Locations
- Swiss Paraplegic CentreRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
No Intervention
Functional Electrical Stimulation
Standard therapy
Before surgery, the donor muscle is stimulated via surface electrodes in a loaded position or against resistance 3 times a week for 30 minutes. After surgery, the patients receive the same standard therapy as the control group. The electrical stimulation is performed once a day in combination with standard therapy for 30 minutes against gravity or resistance or in a loaded position.
Postoperatively, 20 min passive and active movements of the hand or arm are applied manually by a therapist. Additionally, the patients actively perform the same exercises once a day for 20 min. The movements are based on a standardised post-surgical treatment protocol.