Table 1.

Clinical studies investigating ESCS

Included studies	Number of participant(s)	Level of injury and ASIA grading	Main functional outcomes	Study type	Level of evidence*
Harkema et al. [8]	1	C7 (AIS B)	Full weight-bearing standing with assistance during ESCS	Case report	4
Angeli et al. [4]	4	T4 (AIS A); T4 (AIS A); C5 (AIS B); T1 (AIS B)	Walk overground with parallel bars (2/4); taking steps on treadmill with body-weight support (other 2/4); standing with trunk stability	Case series	4
Gill et al. [7]	1	T6 (AIS A)	Independent standing; stepping on treadmill; stepping overground with walker and assistance	Case report	4
Rejc et al. [10]	4	T4 (AIS A); T4 (AIS A); T2 (AIS B); C7 (AIS B);	Full weight-bearing standing with self-balance assistance	Case series	4
Rowald et al. [14]	3	T4 (AIS A); T3 (AIS A); T7 (AIS B);	Overground walking with body-weight support after three days of ESCS; leg movements for cycling and swimming; improved trunk control	Case series	4
Wagner et al. [15]	3	C7 (AIS C); C4 (AIS D); C7 (AIS C);	Overground walking with body-weight support; Increased Lower Extremity Motor Scores (ISNCSCI);	Case series	4
Lu et al. [16]	2	C5 (AIS B); C6 (AIS B)	Increased Upper Extremity Motor Scores (ISNCSCI); Improvement in selfcare-subcategories in the SCIM III	Case series	4
Darrow et al. [6]	2	T8 (AIS A); T4 (AIS A)	Improvement of symptomatic hypotension (1/2); volitional voiding (1/2) with residual volumes; recovery of female orgasm (1/2)	Case series	4
Schieferdecker et al. [17]	5 (4 SCI, 1 Multiple sclerosis)	Not specified. All participants were paraplegic	Decreased urine leakage and incontinence	Retrospective case series	4
Herrity et al. [18]	20 (10/10) in intervention group/usual care group)	Range from C2 to T4 (AIS A/B)	Improved bladder capacity in intervention group (whereas no change in usual care group)	Case control study;cohort study	3b

*Levels of evidence were classified according to the Oxford Centre of Evidence-Based Medicine: Levels of Evidence [19]