Electromyography-Triggered Electrical Stimulation on Trunk Balance and Muscle Thickness in SCI Patients

Ankara City Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Spinal Cord Injury Thoracic

Treatments: Device: Neuro Trac Myo Plus Pro; Other: Trunk eccentric exercises

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06527417

AnkaraCHBilkent-PMR-DRHENY-02

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of electromyography (EMG) triggered electrical stimulation (ES) applied to multifidus and erector spinae muscles on trunk balance in patients with complete thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI).

The fundamental questions that investigators want to answer are as follows:

• [question 1]: "Does multifidus and erector spinae EMG ES improve trunk balance in patients with complete SCI?"
• [question 2]: "Does multifidus and erector spinae EMG ES improve muscle thickness in patients with complete SCI?"

Full description

Spinal cord injury results in loss of sensory and motor function below the level of injury, causing difficulty with unaided sitting and activities of daily living, especially at the thoracic level in SCI patients. The paraspinal muscles that provide trunk balance are weakened in these patients. Methods such as neuromuscular electrical stimulation and EMG ES are used to improve trunk balance and restore muscle function. This study aims to investigate the effect of EMG ES applied to the multifidus and erector spinae muscles on trunk balance in patients with complete thoracic SCI.

Enrollment: 15 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• have traumatic SCI and this injury occurred at least 3 months ago,
• be between the ages of 18 and 65,
• have a neurological injury level between thoracic 4 and thoracic 12
• be fully paraplegic according to the American Spinal Cord Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale
• be able to sit unsupported in a wheelchair

Exclusion criteria

• patients with a diagnosis of heart failure
• malignancy
• intracardiac defibrillators
• epilepsy
• open wounds
• patients using trunk corsets

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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15 participants in 2 patient groups

electromyography-triggered electrical stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

EMG ES was applied to the bilateral multifidus and erector spina muscles of the experimental group 3 times a week for 10 minutes in each session for 4 weeks. At the beginning of each session, the participants were instructed to position themselves in a comfortable sitting position. EMG ES was performed using six self-adhesive electrodes (37 × 64 mm) and two Neuro Trac Myo Plus Pro devices.

Treatment:

Device: Neuro Trac Myo Plus Pro

trunk eccentric exercises

Active Comparator group

Description:

The control group performed back eccentric exercises for 4 weeks, 3 times a week, 3 times in each session.

Treatment:

Other: Trunk eccentric exercises