Table 1.

Area of epidermis (μm2) in transverse sections of thigh skin biopsies. Skin biopsies were harvested from denervated SCI-patients before and after 2 years of home-based functional electrical stimulation (h-bFES, 5 days per week) using large surface electrodes and a purpose-developed electrical stimulator. The column of “Years from SCI” shows the number of years from SCI to the beginning of h-bFES.

Subjects	Years from SCI	Before FES	Mean±SD	After FES	Mean±SD	Δ %	P
1	3.3	Left	39558±6074	Left	54953±14034	+39	0.001
		Right	37143±8044	Right	49154±10821	+32	0.01
2	3.2	Left	39683±2682	Left	66070±8530	+66	<0.001
		Right	42780±2512	Right	54139±4544	+26	<0.001
3	0.8	Left	44265±10870	Left	54532±14552	+23	0.159
		Right	42940±14239	Right	42010±9780	-2	0.875
		ALL-Before	41062±7404	ALL-After	53477±10378	+30	0.02

Results are reported as absolute area in μm2, and as Δ%, i.e., the percent difference comparing before and after 2-years of h-b FES. The limit for statistical significance was always considered p<0.05. The data in bold are significant or highly significant.