Microneurovascular Free Muscle Transplantations in Dogs

Hahn, Soo Bong

Abstract

It has been shown that by applying microsurgical techniques to ensure adequate circulation and innervation it is now feasible for free whole muscle grafts to be used as a restoring lost motor power that cannot be reconstructed by simpler means such as tendon transfer. The causes of lost motor power have been direct trauma to the foream, producing loss of musculature secondary to Volkmanns ischemic paralysis, electrical burns or peripheral nerve injury. However, the status of graft in this condition is not yet clear. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the morphology of microsurgically grafted muscle by light microscopic and electron microscopic studies and the function of the muscle by the application of electromyography. Sixteen mogrel dogs were divided into two groups. In group I the cranial part of the sartorius muscle was transferred heterotopically, and in group II the cranial part of the sartorius muscle was transferred orthotopically. The results were summerized as follows; 1. The successful rate of grafted muscles using microsurgical technique was 82%. 2. The transplanted muscles could return almost to normal histologically, histochemically and electromyographically. 3. The evidence of the functional recovery of the successfully transplanted muscle may point the way to clinical application of this procedure.