Research
Foot Drop
Foot drop is the inability to lift the front part of the foot from the ground. It causes the toes to drag along the ground while walking and can cause fall and injuries. A patient may have Foot drop when there is a loss of communication between the central nervous system and the peroneal nerve. It can be corrected by functional electrical stimulation. Read more..
Team
Bijit Basumatary, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar
Dr. Ashish Kumar Sahani, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar
Functional Electrical Stimulation
Functional Electrical Stimulator is used for the correction or treatment of Foot drop. It is used both as an assistive device as well as a therapeutic device. In the FES system, an electrical pulse is applied to the peroneal nerve to cause a muscle contraction to correct the gait pattern of the foot. Read more..
Collaborator
Dr. Rajinder Bansal, Department of Neurology, Dayanand Medical College & Hospital (DMC&H)
Dr. Gagandeep Singh, Department of Neurology, Dayanand Medical College & Hospital (DMC&H)
Funding
Fund supported by Prime Minister's Research Fellowship.
Indian Institute of Technology Ropar.
What happens exactly when electrical pulse is applied to peroneal nerve?
When an electrical pulse is applied to the peroneal nerve of a foot drop patient, it can elicit a muscle contraction and cause the foot to lift during the swing phase of gait. The electrical pulse causes depolarization of the nerve fibers, which triggers the release of neurotransmitters that activate the muscle fibers innervated by the nerve.
At the cellular level, the electrical pulse causes a change in the membrane potential of the nerve fibers, which is a result of the movement of ions across the cell membrane.
The electrical pulse causes an influx of positively charged ions, such as sodium (Na+) and calcium (Ca2+), which depolarizes the cell membrane and triggers the release of neurotransmitters at the nerve terminal.
These neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, bind to receptors on the muscle fibers and cause them to contract.
At the muscle level, the electrical pulse causes a series of biochemical events that lead to muscle contraction.
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that transmit signals between neurons (nerve cells) or from neurons to other cells such as muscles or glands. They are stored in the nerve terminals of neurons and released when an action potential reaches the terminal.
When the neurotransmitter acetylcholine binds to the receptor on the muscle fiber, it triggers the release of calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, which activates the actin-myosin cross-bridge cycling and leads to muscle contraction. This contraction is sustained as long as the electrical pulse is applied, and the muscle relaxes when the pulse is turned off.
In the case of foot drop, the electrical pulse is applied to the peroneal nerve, which innervates the muscles responsible for dorsiflexion of the ankle joint.
By causing these muscles to contract, the electrical pulse can lift the foot during the swing phase of gait, thereby restoring a more normal gait pattern and improving walking function.