Percutaneous Freehand™ System Intramuscular Electrode Placement

Abstract

The FreeHand™ (NeuroControl Corporation, USA) system is an implantable electronic neuroprosthesis designed to stimulate muscles of tetraplegic upper limbs to achieve lateral pinch and simple grasp. When first introduced, the system required insertion through multiple large incisions, but recently introduced intramuscular electrodes have allowed the development of a percutaneous electrode placement technique. The technique minimizes incisions, decreases overall operative time and patient morbidity and improves the outcome by minimizing tendon adhesions.