From simulation to stimulation: a predictive synergy-based control strategy for functional electrical stimulation cycling in a person with spinal cord injury

Background

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling stimulation strategies are often derived from heuristics, or able-bodied kinematics and electromyography, which may be unsafe and non-representative for people with complete spinal cord injury. Optimally controlled predictive musculoskeletal simulations with synergy implementation offer a way to generate individualized, physiologically plausible muscle trajectories without prior experimental data. Building on a previous proof of concept, this study developed and experimentally validated a simulation-derived stimulation strategy for FES cycling.