Objective To investigate the effect of the neuromuscular pedicle transplantation in prevention against atrophy in the denervated muscle. Methods Fortyeight SD rats were used to establish the right side tibialis anterior muscle denervation model. The long peroneal muscle neuromuscular pedicle was made as a treatment in 12 rats (Group A); the nerve shaft embedding was used in 12 rats (Group B); no treatment was used in 12 rats(Group C); the remaining 12 rats were used as normal controls (Group D). The gait analysis, electromyogram，muscle wet weight, and muscle fiber crosssectional area were used to determine and compare the effect of the operation at 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively. ResultsAt 6 weeks postoperatively, the parameters tested in Group A about the gait analysis (peroneal function index, PFI, －47.20±12.30), electromyogram, muscle wet weight (0.384 0±0.024 6 g)and muscle fiber cross-sectional area (1 040.98±120.54 μm2) were significantly better than those in Group C (PFI, -114.40±14.84; muscle wet weight, 0.173 0±0.019 1 g; muscle fiber cross-sectional area, 585.08±182.93 μm2,P lt;0.05), and the final two parameters were significantly better than those in Group B (0.294 0±0.056 4 g,763.92±82.68 μm2,P lt;0.05). At 12 weeks postoperatively, the musclefiber crosssectional area in Group A(1 360.10±261.45 μm2) had no significant difference from that in Group D (1 544.57±266.92 μm2，P gt;0.05)，and most of the parameters tested in Group A were better than those in Groups B and C. Conclusion Neuromuscular pedicle transplantation has an excellent effect in prevention against atrophy in the denervated muscle, and the effect of neuromuscular pedicle transplantation is better than that of the nerve shaft embedding.
Citation： LI Gang,CHANG Wenkai,TIAN Jianghua,et al.. NEUROMUSCULAR PEDICLE TRANSPLANTATION FOR PREVENTION OF ATROPHY IN DENERVATED MUSCLE. Chinese Journal of Reparative and Reconstructive Surgery, 2007, 21(6): 565-567. doi: Copy