Study design and timeline of the EES + physical therapy (PT) group and the PT-only group. (IMAGE)

Beijing Institute of Technology Press Co., Ltd

Study design and timeline of the EES + physical therapy (PT) group and the PT-only group.

Caption

All participants undergo a baseline assessment on day 1; in the EES+PT group, an epidural electrode is implanted on day 2, stimulation programs are initiated on postoperative day 1 and iteratively tuned from days 3–14 by adjusting frequency, pulse width, and amplitude; if a 7–10-day trial demonstrates benefit without adverse events, a fully implantable stimulator is placed around day 14; a post-surgery assessment is performed near day 15, discharge occurs on days 15–16, and patients then receive standardized physical therapy for approximately 19–25 months with concurrent long-term follow-up. In the PT-only group, patients are discharged on day 2 and subsequently undergo ~19–25 months of physical therapy with endpoint follow-up.

Credit

Yihang Ren, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University.

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