The use of functional electrical stimulation cycles in children and adolescents with spinal cord dysfunction: a pilot study.

Background And Methods: Children who experience spinal cord injuries (SCI) may develop many complications, including loss of bone mass, osteoporosis, and pathological fractures. Additionally, patients with SCI often rate their quality of life as poor compared to non-injured peers. We examined the effect of functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycle exercise on bone mineral density (BMD) and quality of life (QOL) in six patients ranging in age from 9 to 20 years. BMD was determined using Dual X-ray Absorptiometry scans, and QOL was measured using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™ 4.0).

Results: While patients experienced difficulty in attending sessions consistently, we found a tendency toward improved BMD and QOL associated with the number of months using the FES cycles. In addition, a positive relation was seen between improved BMD and the total number of cycling sessions, as well as between the final rating of QOL and time from injury.

Conclusion: FES cycle exercise has the potential to increase BMD, possibly leading to a decrease in pathologic fractures, as well as to improve QOL, in children and adolescents with SCI. Further investigation is warranted on a larger population of children with SCI in order to establish the full benefits of FES cycle exercise.