title: Effect of Electrical Stimulation and Vibration Therapy on Skeletal Muscle Trophism in Rats with Complete Spinal Cord Injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goals of this work were to analyze the skeletal muscle changes after complete spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats and to compare the effects of electrical stimulation and whole-body vibration on prevention of muscle hypotrophy in these animals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: (1) sham operation (sham, n = 12), (2) SCI (n = 10), (3) SCI + electrical stimulation (n = 9), and (4) SCI + whole-body vibration (n = 9). Complete SCI was generated by surgical transection of the cord at the T10 level. Therapies were initiated 3 days after the surgery and continued for 30 days at a frequency of 3 days per week, 20 mins per day. The animals were killed on day 33 after injury for subsequent analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SCI caused a significant decrease in muscle mass and fibers, perimeter measurements, and mechanical resistance to traction as well as an increase in fibrotic tissue. Electrical stimulation, but not whole-body vibration, resulted in significant partial muscle hypotrophy prevention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electrical stimulation may be a potentially beneficial therapeutic modality to prevent muscle hypotrophy after SCI.
authors: From the Department of Biomechanics, Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Mariana M
authors: MM
authors: Butezloff
authors: Ariane
authors: A
authors: Zamarioli
authors: Daniel A
authors: DA
authors: Maranho
authors: Antonio C
authors: AC
authors: Shimano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D014732:Vibration / Q000627:therapeutic use*