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Updated: May 30, 2026
The Muscle Cuff Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface for the Amplification of Intact Peripheral Nerve Signals
Published on: January 13, 2022
Nerve-muscle-endplate band grafting: a new technique for muscle reinnervation
Liancai Mu1, Stanislaw Sobotka, Hungxi Su
1Upper Airway Research Laboratory, Department of Research, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601, USA. lmu@humed.com
Background:
Because currently existing reinnervation methods result in poor functional recovery, there is a great need to develop new treatment strategies.
Objective:
To investigate the efficacy of our recently developed nerve-muscle-endplate band grafting (NMEG) technique for muscle reinnervation.
Methods:
Twenty-five adult rats were used. Sternohyoid (SH) and sternomastoid (SM) muscles served as donor and recipient muscle, respectively. Neural organization of the SH and SM muscles and surgical feasibility of the NMEG technique were determined. An NMEG contained a muscle block, a nerve branch with nerve terminals, and a motor endplate band with numerous neuromuscular junctions. After a 3-month recovery period, the degree of functional recovery was evaluated with a maximal tetanic force measurement. Retrograde horseradish peroxidase tracing was used to track the origin of the motor innervation of the reinnervated muscles. The reinnervated muscles were examined morphohistologically and immunohistochemically to assess the extent of axonal regeneration.
Results:
Nerve supply patterns and locations of the motor endplate bands in the SH and SM muscles were documented. The results demonstrated that the reinnervated SM muscles gained motor control from the SH motoneurons. The NMEG technique yielded extensive axonal regeneration and significant recovery of SM muscle force-generating capacity (67% of control). The mean wet weight of the NMEG-reinnervated muscles (87% of control) was greater than that of the denervated SM muscles (36% of control).
Conclusion:
The NMEG technique resulted in successful muscle reinnervation and functional recovery. This technique holds promise in the treatment of muscle paralysis.
