Anatomical Concepts (UK) is a Scottish based company with a ten year track record of working with innovative health care products - in particular we have always tried to be close to the real clinical issues and develop products that make a difference.  We are very pleased to now be working with Hasomed GmbH and helping them to bring their very special products to the UK.

These products include systems that allow practical exercise for spinal cord injured people using functional electrical stimulation (FES). We are also exploring possibilities in stroke rehabilitation and MS.

There are lots of web sites that focus on FES and on its application in spinal cord injury - so why bother with this one? 

Well the reasons are partly pragmatic.  We believe the site can provide a great resource for our clients.  Behind the scenes we are developing lots of tools that link to our desire for every client to get maximum benefit from our products - wherever they are - whatever they need - whenever they need it.

There are personal reasons too for my interest in getting more involved in this area of rehabilitation.  Back in the late 1960's I was a motorcycle fanatic - I still am - although I had a few decades away from participation again until recently.  I retired from my dream career of bike racing with a few fused vertebrae and a feeling of delight that I wasn't left with any real limitation in my life.  All I have is arthritis and stiffness in my spine but a lot a mental flexibility (I hope).  My son however, (on bike below) is enjoying life and has a young man's approach to risk.  My desire is never to stop him from enjoying life but it would be nice for him to have to accept fewer risks than I did.

Instead of bike racing I turned instead to an academic life and completed an engineering degree then a Bioengineering Doctorate at Strathclyde University in Glasgow.  When I completed my PhD back in 1976, FES was an active area of research that never quite seemed to transfer into the world outside the clinic.  One of my good friends from that time (and thankfully still is!) Prof Brian Andrews has spent much of his working life progressing these type of techniques (in his case in FES rowing)

We are approaching this area to learn and to serve - and I personally hope that we can play even a small role in generating and sustaining meaningful progress that will benefit many people.