Functional electrical stimulation-assisted walking for persons with incomplete spinal injuries: changes in the kinematics and physiological cost of overground walking.

This study was conducted to investigate the change in the kinematics and physiological cost of walking that occurs during training with functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted walking in persons with incomplete injuries. The main effect of FES-assisted walking was to change hip excursion and ankle dorsiflexion during swing and at foot contact, whereas training with FES-assisted walking changed the spatio-temporal parameters of walking (walking speed, cycle length and frequency as well as time in stance). The use of FES-assisted walking does not change the walking speed achieved during a 5-minute trial nor the physiological cost of walking but when combined with walking training, eight of the nine participants improved either their physiological cost index or their walking speed. It is concluded that FES-assisted walking changes the joint angular kinematic pattern of walking, but training is necessary to integrate these changes into functional gains.