A Pilot Study of Shoulder Subluxation Treatment by Using the Self-Designed Surface Functional Electrical Stimulator

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a common and effective therapeutic approach for clinical treatments of shoulder subluxation. By applying low-frequency electrical stimulation to the target muscle groups, improvements may be observed in terms of muscle strength, subluxation, and passive humeral lateral rotation of the shoulder joint. In order to overcome issues regarding the integration of an FES and a rehabilitation robot, group members have designed a customized FES system approved by medical safety regulations. Despite sharing identical specifications with commercial models, the approved 2-channel FES system provides better integrity and control when working with the upper extremity rehabilitation robot. In this study, three patients with unilateral shoulder subluxation will be recruited. Limited shoulder x-ray photos shall be taken before, during, and after the FES shoulder subluxation treatment for studying the effects.