LEXINGTON — Rod Bobblitt hasn't had the use of his legs for more than 17 years.

        Disabled at age 15 after a serious spinal cord injury suffered in a motorcycle accident, the 32-year-old central Kentucky man now is able to stand for brief periods and move short distances with a walker thanks to a high-tech device being tested at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.

        “It's unbelievable, really,” said Mr. Bobblitt, a mechanic from rural Anderson County. “I'm doing things now I never imagined I'd do again after the accident.”

        Mr. Bobblitt's injury stripped him of any sensation or function below his chest. For months, he struggled to master simple, everyday tasks made more complex by his dependence on a wheelchair.

        After years spent learning to live and thrive in the chair, Mr. Bobblitt has a new set of goals.

        “I don't really focus on walking because you don't want to get your hopes up,” he said. “But just being able to stand up out of the chair and transfer to the bed or get something off the counter makes me wonder what else might be possible down the road.”

        In February, Mr. Bobblitt traveled to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland to undergo an eight-hour procedure to implant a small electrical device — about the size of a candy bar — into his abdomen.

        Eight electrodes snake away from the device, surgically attached to several muscle groups in his upper legs and lower back. When set off by Mr. Bobblitt using an external trigger, an electrical signal stimulates the muscles, stiffening them and forcing him into a standing position.

        “The muscles can only take about 90 seconds or two minutes of stimulation before Rod gets fatigued,” said James Abbas, assistant professor at the University of Kentucky's Center for Biomedical Engineering. “In addition to using the device to practice standing at home, he also has an exercise program designed to help strengthen his leg muscles, which haven't been used much over the years.”

        “It makes me feel great knowing I'm the bionic man, on the cutting edge of technology,” Mr. Bobblitt said with a chuckle. “I can't describe what I felt when I stood for the first time. Since then, the farthest I've walked is about 15 feet before I got tired and couldn't go anymore.”

        Mr. Bobblitt is one of 12 patients testing the device, which was developed as part of a broader research project at Case Western. As UK becomes more involved in the rehabilitation aspect of the program, Mr. Abbas said he hopes the medical center will begin to perform the surgery to implant the device within a year or two.

        “Case Western developed the project over several years, and this is the first stage of transferring the procedure to other sites,” Mr. Abbas said. “Hopefully, what we do here will be part of what the Food and Drug Administration uses to determine whether this is safe and effective.”

        Until then, Mr. Abbas and others will work with Mr. Bobblitt to build strength in his legs, as well as his endurance, monitor progress and collaborate with Case Western on future applications.

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