Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults in the UK. MS can occur at any age, but in most cases symptoms are first seen between the ages of 20 and 40. Women are almost twice as likely to develop MS as men.
MS is the result of damage to myelin - a protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the central nervous system. When myelin is damaged, messages between the brain and other parts of the body become disrupted. Approximately 85,000 people in the UK are affected by MS.
As a result of this neurological condition, people are frequently left with one or more of the following conditions:
- Dropped foot condition - the dropping of the forefoot due to weakness or paralysis of the muscles down the front of the lower leg. This becomes particularly apparent in walking when the foot is off the ground and the toes do not clear the floor.
- Claw hand condition - a condition where the affected hand is gripped in a closed position. The wrist and fingers stiff and difficult to move.
Finetech Medical produces a range of long-term implantable neuromuscular stimulators to restore function after neurological injury. Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) can be used to produce contractions in paralysed muscles. Finetech Medical’s implants deliver small electrical pulses to the nerves that supply the paralysed muscles, causing them to contract. An external, wireless device is used to control the implant and its function.
Finetech Medical’s products applicable to these conditions are: