The Role of Functional Electrical Stimulation in Brachial Plexus Injury Repair

Abstract

Brachial plexus injury (BPI) is a type of peripheral nerve injury, which is mainly manifested as upper limb sensory and motor dysfunction. Although the injury will not endanger life, it can cause serious functional loss and high disability rate, and eventually lead to patients unable to live normally. At present, the treatment methods for BPI mainly include conservative treatment, such as limb massage, exercise, drug therapy, autonomous movement and strength training; In clinic, nerve repair, nerve transplantation and muscle transfer can also be used. Although surgical treatment can better restore the function of injured brachial plexus, there is a certain risk, so it is not the first choice of treatment. As a mature electrical stimulation method, functional electrical stimulation (FES) can play a good role in promoting injured nerve regeneration and preventing skeletal muscle denervation atrophy, so it can be widely used in the treatment and functional recovery of BPI. This article will review the research progress of FES in the treatment of BPI.

Determining the Algorithm of Rehabilitation Procedures in Patients with Brachial Plexus Injuries Based on the Prospective Single-Centre Clinical Neurophysiology Studies: Preliminary Results

“…Contemporary researches show that NMES increases the strength of stimulated muscles, thereby preventing atrophy while waiting for the results of axonal regeneration. A type of electrical muscle stimulation is FES, i.e., functional electrical stimulation, which, using electrodes placed on the damaged muscle, stimulates the sensory and motor fibers of the supplying nerve, thereby supporting the axon's proliferation and reinnervation of the muscle [36,37]. The proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation method (PNF), using the patient's exercises against the resistance of the physiotherapist stimulates muscles to contract, and also improves muscle strength and the range of motion of the injured extremity.…”

Functional Electrical Stimulation in Conjunction With Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Technique to Improve Upper Limb Function in Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injury: A Case Report

“…Peripheral axotomy elicits growth-associated gene programs in sensory and motor neurons that can support the reinnervation of peripheral targets, given sufficient levels of debris clearance and proximity to the nerve target [ 19 ]. FES has shown its efficacy in promoting regeneration and reducing the denervating skeletal muscles' atrophy [ 20 ]. FES is used to evoke electrical stimulation in a specific sequence and magnitude, which is used to create the muscle activity required to perform a functional task [ 21 ].…”