Lo Hsin-Chang, Tsai Kuen-Horng, Yeh Chun-Yu, Chang Guan-Liang, Su Fong-Chin
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2008;23 Suppl 1:S67-73. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2008.05.004. Epub 2008 Jun 30.
Manual wheelchairs are an important mobility device for hemiplegic stroke patients, but understandably difficult to operate. A novel mobility device termed the functional electrical stimulation-assisted leg-propelled wheelchair (FES-LW) was proposed and a field test conducted to evaluate its clinical performance by comparison against a manual wheelchair (MW).
A total of 20 hemiplegic patients were recruited from the National Cheng Kung University Hospital. They were instructed to successively propel the FES-LW and MW comfortably, as fast as possible, in along an oval pathway. The finish time, deviation frequencies, deviation percentage, physiological cost index (PCI), and modified Ashworth scale (MAS) of affected ankle were measured and compared.
Subjects can propel the FES-LW with 40.1% less finish time (P=0.003); 23.7% lower deviation frequencies (P=0.009) and 36.7% lower deviation percentage (P=0.001); and 17.7% lower PCI (P=0.022) than the MW. In addition, the MAS of the affected ankle was noticeably reduced (P=0.002) after propelling the FES-LW.
The FES-LW showed better controllability, cardiopulmonary response and positive effects on reducing spasticity versus the MW. The FES-LW is a suitable alternative to a MW for the needs of hemiplegic stroke patients.
手动轮椅是偏瘫中风患者重要的移动设备，但操作起来可想而知会很困难。一种名为功能性电刺激辅助腿部驱动轮椅（FES-LW）的新型移动设备被提出，并进行了现场测试，通过与手动轮椅（MW）比较来评估其临床性能。
从国立成功大学医院招募了20名偏瘫患者。他们被要求沿着椭圆形路径，尽可能舒适、快速地依次驱动FES-LW和MW。测量并比较完成时间、偏差频率、偏差百分比、生理成本指数（PCI）以及患侧踝关节的改良Ashworth量表（MAS）。
与MW相比，受试者驱动FES-LW时，完成时间减少40.1%（P = 0.003）；偏差频率降低23.7%（P = 0.009），偏差百分比降低36.7%（P = 0.001）；PCI降低17.7%（P = 0.022）。此外，驱动FES-LW后，患侧踝关节的MAS显著降低（P = 0.002）。
与MW相比，FES-LW在可控性、心肺反应以及减轻痉挛方面显示出更好的效果。对于偏瘫中风患者的需求而言，FES-LW是MW的合适替代品。
