STANDING-UP OF A HEALTHY SUBJECT AND A PARAPLEGIC PATIENT

The joint torques in hip, knee and ankle were measured during the standing-up of a healthy subject. Force plate and stroboscopic photography were used in the experiment. It has been observed that the time courses of particular joint torques depend on the kind of standing-up. On the basis of these results a standing-up procedure for paraplegic patients was proposed. With the use of electrical stimulation to both paralyzed knee extensors and through use of the arm support, a completely paraplegic patient was able to rise independently from the wheel-chair. The same dual-channel stimulation also provides knee locking during standing of spinal cord injured patients.