Neurostimulation Helped This Paralympian Walk Again

Prior to sustaining a spinal cord injury in 1998, Jennifer French was, among other sports, an active snowboarder and skier, sailor, fly fisher, and scuba diver. Today, thanks to her neurostimulation implants, she still is. In 1999 French became the first woman to receive the Stand and Transfer implant system created by the Cleveland Functional Electronic Stimulation FES Center. The implant uses a series of muscle- and nerve-based electrodes to stimulate muscles in the lower body. By pressing a button on an external control unit, French is able to activate her implants and restore limited movement to her body. In 2010 she underwent surgery that upgraded her 8-channel electrode implant into a 24-channel one. She was even able to walk down the aisle at her wedding.

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