Polyimide Electrode-Based Electrical Stimulation Impedes Early Stage Muscle Graft Regeneration
Open accessAbstract
Given the increasing use of regenerative free muscle flaps for various reconstructive procedures and neuroprosthetic applications, there is great interest and value in their enhanced regeneration, revascularization, and reinnervation for improved functional recovery. Here, we implant polyimide-based mircroelectrodes on free flap grafts and perform electrical stimulation for 6 weeks in a murine model. Using electrophysiological and histological assessments, we compare outcomes of stimulated grafts with unstimulated control grafts. We find delayed reinnervation and abnormal electromyographic (EMG) signals, with significantly more polyphasia, lower compound muscle action potentials and higher fatigability in stimulated animals. These metrics are suggestive of myopathy in the free flap grafts stimulated with the electrode. Additionally, active inflammatory processes and partial necrosis are observed in grafts stimulated with the implanted electrode. The results suggest that under this treatment protocol, implanted epimysial electrodes and electrical stimulation to deinnervated, and devascularized flaps during the early recovery phase may be detrimental to regeneration. Future work should determine the optimal implantation and stimulation window for accelerating free muscle graft regeneration.
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Muscle electrodes should be implanted 1-2 weeks after surgery to allow time for early regeneration with adequate angiogenesis and to enable biocompatible interfacing.
“This study concludes that the muscle electrodes should be implanted 1-2 weeks after surgery to have time for early regeneration with adequate angiogenesis, and to enable biocompatible interfacing.”
From Interfaces with the peripheral nervous system for the control of a neuroprosthetic limb: a review (2020) · cites this paper as [44]
The Discussion (‘Delayed Reinnervation and Partial Myopathy’; page not provided) says that, for devascularized free muscle grafts, implanting devices 1–2 weeks after surgery may allow capillary ingrowth, and that stimulation should wait until basic vasculature has formed. The claim turns this conditional suggestion into a general recommendation for muscle electrodes; the passage does not say that delayed implantation will enable biocompatible interfacing. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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- Authors
- Srinivasan, S., Vyas, K., McAvoy, M., Calvaresi, P., Khan, O. F., Langer, R., Anderson, D. G., & Herr, H.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research At MIT (US)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
- Corresponding author
- Srinivasan, Shriya
- ORCID
- Venue
- Frontiers in Neurology
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2019-03-22
- Volume
- 10
- Pages
- 252-252
- ISSN
- 1664-2295 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6438882
- OpenAlex
- W2923957014
- Cited by
- 11
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 0.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Frontiers in Neurology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Defense (P30-CA14051)
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (P30-CA14051, Grant P30-CA14051)
- National Cancer Institute (CA14051, Koch Institute Support (core) Grant P30-CA14051, Grant P30-CA14051, P30CA014051, P30-CA-14051)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Reconstructive Surgery and Microvascular Techniques
- Keywords
- electrical stimulation, free muscle flap, reinnervation, revascularization, myopathy, electromyography, graft inflammation, necrosis, neuroprosthetics, reconstructive surgery
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