title: Muscle-Nerve-Muscle Grafting for Facial Reanimation in Rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Facial paralysis is a devastating condition leaving patients with a myriad of aesthetic and functional consequences. Muscle-nerve-muscle (MNM) neurotization is a reinnervation technique that involves implanting an autogenous nerve graft as a conduit between an innervated "donor" muscle and a denervated "recipient" muscle. We investigated the use of MNM reinnervation, alone or in combination with electrical stimulation (ES) and testosterone propionate (TP) in comparison to nerve reanastomosis (RE), on functional recovery following rat facial nerve injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one male, Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to groups: no graft (control), MNM grafting alone (MNM), MNM grafting with ES and TP (MNM+ES+TP), or RE. Harvested right facial nerve branches were used as the MNM graft. Functional recovery was assessed by behavioral observations and electromyographic recordings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MNM grafting improved muscle tone and vibrissae movement. The ES+TP treatment further enhanced muscle tone as well as reduced recovery time for coordinated movement in a manner that is comparable to those of RE. Electromyographic recordings demonstrated electrical conductance across all MNM grafts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data have important implications for patients with unilateral paralysis from facial or laryngeal nerve injury, particularly those who are not candidates for nerve reanastomosis.
authors.affiliation: 1 Loyola University of Chicago, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Maywood, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Charous
authors.affiliation: 1 Loyola University of Chicago, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Maywood, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffery M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hotaling
authors.affiliation: 1 Loyola University of Chicago, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Maywood, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Bridget D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.affiliation: 1 Loyola University of Chicago, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Maywood, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sappington
authors.affiliation: 2 Loyola University of Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: 2 Loyola University of Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Grant
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Turek
authors.affiliation: 1 Loyola University of Chicago, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Maywood, Illinois, USA.|3 Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Eileen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Foecking
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004576:Electromyography; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000187:drug effects; D016067:Nerve Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects; D043343:Testosterone Propionate / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D043343:Testosterone Propionate
keywords: electrical stimulation; facial nerve injury; functional recovery; muscle-nerve-muscle neurotization; testosterone