Improved motor response due to chronic electrical stimulation of denervated tibialis anterior muscle in humans.

Nine patients with complete denervation of the tibialis anterior were admitted to a stimulation program in order to restore dorsiflexion of the foot. Best results were obtained with pulses of 20-msec pulse width and 20-msec interval. After 3 weeks of training for 2 X 20 min/day, dorsiflexion due to stimulation was increased in all patients. In some of them, gait could be improved during the swing phase using electrical stimulation. The applied training program thus reversed the course of disuse atrophy and proved the feasibility of functional electrical stimulation for patients with denervated muscles.