Experimental modification of muscle migration in the rabbit

The insertion of the M. semimenbranosus was translocated distally through distances of 0, 5, 10, and 20 mm in 8 weeks old rabbits. Markers were placed in the bone to allow measurements of the distance that each muslce migrated during growth. Rabbits were sacrificed after 3 months. The results showed that the further distally a muscle is moved, the further it will migrate proximally during this time. This may indicate that there are factors other than, or in addition to, the growth of the bone that control migration.