Neuromuscular electrical stimulation keeps a tetraplegic subject in his chair: a case study.

Abstract

Pressure ulcers are an important complication of spinal cord injury which place an enormous burden on society due to their financial, psychosocial, and vocational implications. Although they are now rarely fatal, they can still have devastating consequences, often needing prolonged hospitalisation to be properly managed. This study reviews the use of electrical stimulation to overcome increasing debility due to sacral pressure ulcers and saddle soreness in a man with tetraplegia. After 24 months of regular cyclic stimulation he had increased circumferential dimensions across his buttocks by up to 21%, and increased his sitting tolerance.