Monitoring muscle viability using evoked M waves.
The experiments described reveal the direct relationship between blood flow and evoked electrical activity in muscle flaps. It is demonstrated that monitoring of EMWs will detect vascular occlusion to a muscle flap within 1 hour. Detecting failure this soon provides the surgeon an opportunity for reexploration and salvage of a muscle flap before irreversible change has occurred. Correlations with observed muscle contraction and intramuscular temperature changes are also made.
D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D009132:Muscles / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000601:surgery; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013696:Temperature