Power measurement of denervated muscle isografts with neurorrhaphy and nerve-implantation in rats
Gu, X.; Carlson, B.M.; Faulkner, J.A.
Zhonghua Kou Qiang Yi Xue Za Zhi 32(3): 131-135
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 1002-0098 PMID: 10680519 Document Number: 471369
The hypothesis was tested in this experiment that after 7 months of predencervation, the reinnervation of muscle grafts with neurorrhaphy results in greater recovery of force and power than with nerve-implantation. In a highly inbred strain of rats, soleus muscles were isografted. The donor muscles were either immediately denervated at the time of isografting or denervated 2, 4, 7 months prior to isografting. Soleus muscles from each donor group were transplanted into the right legs of hosts with either epineurial anastomosis (NR group) or nerve implantation (NI group). The contralateral soleus muscles of hosts served as controls. Sixty days after transfer, both right and left soleus grafts/muscles were evaluated for force and power measured in situ. The absolute force values were significant higher in NR group (61% of normal) than in NI group (40% of normal) in 2-month group but the result invenrsted in 7-month group, less than 20% and more than 20% of normal in NR and NI groups respectively. The reduced ability of grafts to generate force and power resulted from the different ways of reinnervation in denervated muscles and the period of predenervation. Maybe the nerve-implantation is better than the neurorrhaphy for reinnervating a long-term denervated muscle.