Here we give you an overview of the most important terms in the fields of functional electrical stimulation (FES), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS).
| Term | Explanation |
| Abduction | Lateral movement (foot tilts → laterally) – counter-movement of → adduction. Movement of the leg or foot away from the body. |
| Adduction | Lateral approach (foot tilts → medially) – counter-movement of → abduction. Movement of the leg or foot towards the body. |
| Basal ganglia | Group of endbrain and diencephalon nuclei (areas of grey matter) located under the cerebral cortex. |
| Dorsiflexion | Describes the contraction/movement of the foot in the ankle joint “upwards” towards the back of the foot. |
| EMS | Electrical muscle stimulation: Low-frequency electrical impulses stimulate nerves, which in turn leads to muscle contraction. |
| Eversion | Combined movement of → abduction, → dorsiflexion and → pronation. The foot tilts → laterally. |
| Fibular nerve | → Peroneal nerve lat. Fibular nerve Synonym for peroneal nerve/calf nerve |
| Fibula head | lat. Caput fibulae The fibula head is a palpable bone point and forms the end of the fibula. It is the attachment point for tendons and ligaments and is also a joint head. The → peroneal nerve runs directly below the head of the fibula. |
| FES – Functional electrical stimulation | Nerves are stimulated via the skin with electrical impulses in order to induce muscle contraction. |
| Foot drop | Describes a restriction of movement of the foot: the foot can no longer be lifted and drags on the ground when walking. The risk of tripping and falling is extremely high. This is often caused by → peroneal nerve palsy. |
| Innervate | Innervation describes the functional supply of a body part or tissue structure with nerve cells and nerve fibers. Innervation enables the control of bodily processes and movements through the exertion and perception of stimuli. |
| Inversion | Inversion |
| Sciatic nerve | lat. Sciatic nerve Sciatic nerve |
| Lateral | Laterally facing away from the center of the body |
| Medial | Oriented towards the center of the body |
| Biceps femoris muscle | Two-headed muscle of the thigh, also called leg flexor |
| Tibialis anterior muscle | Foot lifter muscle, anterior tibialis muscle |
| Fibular nerve | Fibular nerve |
| Profundus peroneal nerve | Deep fibular nerve |
| Superficial peroneal nerve | Superficial fibular nerve |
| Peroneal nerve | Peroneal nerve |
| Tibular nerve | Tibial nerve |
| Patella | Patella; a flat, curved, triangular bone plate viewed from the front, located in front of the knee joint. |
| Peroneal nerve palsy | Synonym → for peroneal nerve palsy, → foot drop |
| Peroneal nerve | → Fibular nerve lat. Peroneal nerve Peroneal nerve |
| Peroneal nerve palsy | A lesion of the peroneal nerve that can lead to → foot dorsiflexion weakness. The motor command for → dorsiflexion can no longer be transmitted to the muscles: Those affected can no longer lift their foot and often drag their toes on the ground when walking. |
| Plantar flexion | Contraction/movement of the foot “downwards” towards the sole of the foot |
| Pronation | Rotation of the foot around its longitudinal axis, in which the outer edge of the foot is raised and the inner edge is lowered. |
| Tibial nerve | lat. Tibular nerve The tibial nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve. It runs along the back of the leg and → innervates parts of the muscles on the thigh, lower leg and foot as well as areas of skin on the calf, heel and sole of the foot. |
| Supination | “Bent back” position of the foot; lifting of the inner edge of the foot with simultaneous lowering of the outer or lifting of the medial edge |
| TENS | Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation: nerve pathways are stimulated via the skin in order to influence the patient’s perception of pain. |
| Tibia | Tibia/shin bone; the second longest bone of the human skeleton |
| Fibular head | Fibular head |
| Fibular nerve | Synonym for → peroneal nerve, → fibular nerve |
HELLER MEDIZINTECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG has been a certified medical technology company for over 25 years and has many years of experience in designing solutions in the field of electrical nerve and muscle stimulation.
2025 © HELLER MEDIZINTECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG
