Long-term results following electrical stimulation of the peroneal nerve using the ActiGait® system in 33 patients with central drop foot.

Objective: Direct electrical stimulation of the peroneal nerve, using the implantable ActiGait® system, enables a therapy of the centrally caused drop foot, to improve the gait of the patients. In this paper, we present long-term results at 36-month follow-up post implantation.

Method: A total of 33 patients, 27 stroke and six multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, suffering from spastic drop foot were implanted in our center and assessed in terms of gait endurance, speed, risk of fall, and life quality at baseline and 36 months following implantation.

Results: The six min gait endurance test increased significantly from 202 ± 41 m without walking aids to 380 ± 30 m (p=0.038), while using the implant. Moreover, the time in the gait speed measured over 20 m decreased from 31.8 ± 10.2 s without to 18.5 ± 4.6 s by using the ActiGait® system (p=0.039). Similarly, gait steadiness, measured by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test improved by 36.6%, with patients demonstrating a reduced time from 18.6 ± 5.5 to 11.2 ±  3.8 s (p=0.041) upon implant activation. Most importantly, 31 of 33 patients reported remarkable improvements of their quality of life following direct electrical nerve stimulation.

Conclusion: Our findings confirm previously published efficacy data at 12 months after implantation and underline the long-lasting effect of the ActiGait® system.