Comparison of muscle mass preservation in denervated muscle and transplanted muscle flaps after motor and sensory reinnervation and neurotization

The gracilis muscle model was used either as a denervated muscle in situ or as a transplanted flap in 273 rats to compare the trophic effects of muscle reinnervation and neurotization using sensory and motor nerves. The average gracilis muscle flap weighed 626 +/- 94 mg at the time of the initial procedure. Experimental muscles were examined 6 months following the procedure. In denervated, nontransplanted muscles, both motor nerve reinnervation and neurotization resulted in significantly preserved muscle mass, averaging 570 +/- 69 and 521 +/- 116 mg, respectively, compared with the denervated control average of 178 +/- 22 mg (p < 0.05). Sensory nerve reinnervation and neurotization produced much smaller trophic effects (p > 0.05). In transplanted gracilis free flaps, however, only direct reinnervation with motor or sensory nerves resulted in improved bulk preservation, with average weights of 313 +/- 83 and 327 +/- 91 mg compared with the control average of 201 +/- 76 mg (p < 0.05). Neither sensory nor motor neurotization was significantly effective in the free-flap model (p > 0.05). These data suggest that transplantation may alter the response of muscle to reinnervation.