title: Transcutaneous muscle stimulation as a method to retard disuse atrophy.
abstract: Thirty healthy, young adults (18 to 25 years of age), were volunteers in a three-group study to determine the efficacy of transcutaneous electrostimulation as a means of preventing atrophy of normal musculature on wearing a long-leg cast. Each group of ten subjects (five males and five females) were chosen by lot: Group I, nonisometric, Group II, isometric, Group III, TMS electrostimulated thigh and calf muscles. There was little difference in the findings in Groups I and II, and each lost an appreciable amount of muscle mass and power after just two weeks of immobilization. However, in the electrostimulated group muscle atrophy was one-half that of the other groups in the thigh area and one-fifth that of the others in the calf area. In addition, the calf musculature retained its bulk and power with actual increase in a few of the less athletic individuals. Trancutaneous muscle stimulation offers great promise for surgically treated or impaired extremities, enabling early return to activity with optimal function.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007103:Immobilization; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D008297:Male; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*