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WalkAide is a medical device that, after more than a decade in development, has
received marketing clearance from the FDA for improving walking ability of people
suffering from dropfoot.
The condition is caused by weakness or paralysis of the muscles involved in lifting
the front part of the foot (including
peroneal nerve palsy), which causes a person to experience symptoms such
as dragging the toe of the shoe on the ground or slapping the foot on the floor.
Invented by a team at the University of Alberta, WalkAide uses functional electrical
stimulation to restore the typical nerve-to-muscle signals in the leg and foot,
effectively lifting the foot at the appropriate time during the gait cycle. The
resulting movement is a smoother, more natural and safer stepping motion. Users
are able to walk faster and for longer distances with less fatigue. In fact, many
people who try WalkAide experience immediate and substantial improvement in their
walking ability, which increases their mobility, functionality, and overall independence.
What People Should Know About WalkAide
Not long ago, a diagnosis of foot
drop meant an inescapable future of impaired mobility and reduced freedom.
Treatment of the condition was usually relegated to bracing a limb with a device
such as an ankle foot orthosis (AFO) or another type of limb brace.
However, AFOs may be uncomfortable to wear and are only designed to mitigate the
effects of dropfoot, rather than restoring functionality.
WalkAide uses advanced sensor technology to actually analyze the movement of your
leg and foot. The system sends electrical signals to your peroneal nerve, which
controls movement in your ankle and foot. These gentle electrical impulses activate
the muscles to raise your foot at the appropriate time during the step cycle.
Although highly-advanced, WalkAide is surprisingly small and quite easy to use.
It consists of a battery-operated, single-channel electrical stimulator, two electrodes,
and electrode leads. WalkAide is applied directly to your leg — not implanted
underneath the skin — which means no surgery is involved. A cuff holds the
system comfortably in place, and it can be worn discreetly under most clothing.
With the WalkAide’s patented Tilt Sensor technology, most users do not require
additional external wiring or remote heel sensors
What Medical Professionals Should Know About WalkAide
The WalkAide can effectively counteract
foot drop by producing dorsiflexion of the ankle during the swing phase
of the gait. The small device attaches to the leg, just below the knee, near the
head of the fibula. During a gait cycle, the WalkAide stimulates the common peroneal
nerve, which innervates the tibialis anterior and other muscles that produce dorsiflexion
of the ankle. Users of the WalkAide are people who have lost the ability to voluntarily
lift their foot, often as a result of damage to the central nervous system such
as stroke, incomplete spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy
and multiple sclerosis. This type of stimulation will not work with people who have
damage to the lower motor neurons/peripheral nerves.
The WalkAide is a battery-operated, single-channel electrical stimulator that can
be used to address dropfoot with functional electrical stimulation. WalkAide utilizes
a Tilt Sensor to control stimulation during normal gait. A Hand Switch on the WalkLink
is used by the clinician during setup to trigger stimulation while the Heel Sensor
collects additional data. The clinician uses the WalkAnalyst software on a laptop
computer to program the Tilt Sensor in the WalkAide. Use of the Tilt Sensor to trigger
stimulation eliminates the need for external wires or a remote Heel Sensor during
regular use.
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