title: Functional aspects of free muscle transplantation: atrophy, reinnervation, and metabolism.
abstract: The atrophy, reinnervation, and metabolism of free muscle flaps were studied in a rat model, by syngeneic and orthotopic transplantation of abdominal wall muscle flaps with neurovascular anastomoses. The three parameters were examined at different time periods, using electrophysiologic and 31-P-spectroscopic measurements. Results show that a certain degree of atrophy (one-fifth of the original volume) must be expected, even when new axons grow throughout the nerve. This is explained by the early reduction of flap metabolism, leading to a loss of parenchyma until neuromuscular conduction is restored. As the maximum duration of ischemia is 2 hr, muscular damage due to reduced metabolism was not produced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, Steglitz Medical Center, Free University of Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stiller
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000601:surgery; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000209:etiology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010725:Phosphocreatine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate