UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITY MOTOR NEUROPROSTHESES

Motor neuroprostheses can provide standing, stepping, and walking functions for individuals with hemiplegia or paraplegia; and can provide grasping and reaching functions for individuals with tetraplegia. Motor neuroprostheses are designed to give the user control of the patterned electrical activation of his or her muscles. There are over 30 different clinically-deployed upper or lower extremity neuroprostheses reported in the literature, ranging in complexity from single channel surface stimulators to multi-channel implanted stimulator-telemeter systems. Significant functional gains have been reported by these applications and there are a number of commercially available systems. Motor neuroprostheses provide a tool for improving the independence of disabled individuals in a manner that cannot be achieved through any other means.