The Denervated Muscle: 45 years later

Forty-five years after its publication, Ernest Gutmann's book, The Denervated Muscle, still stands as a landmark publication. It summarized the state of knowledge of the time and introduced many new researches that were continuing at the Institute of Physiology in Prague. At the time, the response of a muscle to denervation was viewed primarily through the lens of the neurotrophic theory. Advancements in our understanding of neurotrophic effects and mechanisms would now call into question some of the hypotheses and interpretations presented in the book, but many of the research findings have stood the test of time. This review will cover some of the questions asked and data presented in this book, and will place them into the context of contemporary muscle biology.