Abstract des Autors

Objective: This report describes the operation of the Bionic Glove, a new functional electrical stimulation (FES) device designed to improve the function of the paralyzed hand after spinal cord injury (SCI) or stroke. Design: Signals from a sensor in the glove detecting voluntary wrist movement are used to control FES of muscles either to produce hand-grasp or to open the hand. When the glove is donned, conductive areas on its inside surface automatically make contact with self-adhesive electrodes on the skin. Setting and Patients: This report concerns nine people with SCI who have used the device in their daily lives for up to a year or more. Measurements were made at clinics in Edmonton, Miami, and Chicago as part of a multicenter clinical trial. Outcome Measures and Results: The mean peak force of tenodesis graps on the nine subjects increased from 2.6 N (passive) to 11.3 N (glove active). Active force was significantly greater than passive grasp force even when muscles were fatigued after repetitive grasp-release cycles. Most manul tasks improved significantly with the use of the glove, as judged by the number of tasks completed in a minute or the subjects' qualitative ratings of task difficulty. Conclusion: The Bionic Glove can provide significant improvement of hand function in people with C6-C7 SCL. Verf.-Referat