In the UK, approximately 150,000 people a year have a stroke. Anyone can have a stroke, even babies, but the majority of people are over 65. Strokes are one of the leading causes of severe adult disability with more than 250,000 people living in the UK with disabilities caused by stroke.
As a result of strokes, people are frequently left with one or more of the following conditions that Finetech Medical's products can help with:
- 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 are stiff and difficult to move.
Finetech Medical produces a range of long-term implantable neuromuscular stimulators to restore function after neurological injuries, like strokes. 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: