抄録
The objective of this study is to clarify the reason why the total metabolism of paraplegics ambulation increases for the FES application to their lower limbs rather than the no-FES although they are able to walk faster and longer distance with less fatigue at lower heart rate for the FES than the no-FES. Six thoracic paraplegics were measured the O2-consumption of the lower limbs caused by the FES during a FES-therapy (sitting on a bicycle-like seat of a hydraulic lift and received stimulation to their thigh muscles, producing reciprocal gait), The O2-consumption in terms of upper-body alone during ambulation was calculated by subtracting the above-mentioned consumption of the lower limbs and compared with that for the no-FES. The results reveald the energy expenditure of the upper body for no-FES was significantly higher than that for the FES, and it was concluded the feeling stress should be related not to the total metabolism but to the relative metabolism rate of the working muscle mass. Five orthosis systems were evaluated by the criterion proposed in this sudy and O2-consumption could be guaranteed to be an useful veriable for a gait analysis.
