An electrophysiological method for monitoring blood flow in skeletal muscle. An experimental study in the rat

An experimental animal model was used to study the effects of occlusion of skeletal muscle blood flow on spontaneous denervation activity (fibrillation potentials). The aim was to investigate whether recording of fibrillation potentials could provide a valuable electrophysiological technique for monitoring muscle tissue circulation during free flap surgery. In both the fast-twitch anterior tibial muscle and the slow-twitch soleus, the number of fibrillation potentials decreased rapidly (within 30 sec) after occlusion of the blood flow and after 5 min only few fibrillation potentials were present. In the fast-twitch muscle, the fibrillation potentials disappeared within 10 min in most animals, but sporadic potentials were seen for up to 18 min in one animal after the blood vessels were clamped. In the slow-twitch muscle, sporadic single fibrillation potentials were seen for a longer time than in the anterior tibial muscle and fibrillation potentials were often observed for more than 20 min after clamping of the blood vessels. However, the initial decrease in the number of fibrillation potentials was rapid in both muscles. This means, if the same is true in human muscle, that the method is sufficiently rapid to permit restoration of the circulation so that the muscle flap can be saved if the blood flow is occluded after a muscle transfer operation. Thus, recording of fibrillation potentials may provide a powerful and simple technique for monitoring free flap circulation.