The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Alexandria, Va, has issued an official product endorsement for the NESS L300 Foot Drop System from Bioness Inc, Valencia, Calif, according to the company and the APTA.

Bioness says it is the first functional electrical stimulation (FES) foot drop system to be endorsed by APTA.

“APTA’s endorsement began with an extensive product review by physical therapists, the Board Committee to Review Product Endorsements (BCRPE), and staff,” said APTA President R. Scott Ward, PT, PhD, in a statement released by Bioness. "The NESS L300 was reviewed to ensure that it met APTA’s standards of quality and we found that it clearly may assist physical therapists in helping patients regain mobility."

The NESS L300 is a prescription device used by nearly 400 rehabilitation facilities and orthotic and prosthetic patient-care facilities nationwide to treat foot drop, says the company. Foot drop is partial leg paralysis that prevents the foot from lifting, causing instability and making walking difficult. Foot drop often occurs in people who have conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, incomplete spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy. The device uses FES to stimulate the muscles and nerves that lift the foot, the company says.

For more information, visit the company’s Booth #843 at the APTA’s PT 2009 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Baltimore from June 10 to 13.

Bioness develops and manufactures neuromodulation products that help individuals with central nervous system disorders such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury regain movement in affected limbs. according to the company.

[Source: Bioness]