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Single muscle fiber size and contractility after spinal cord injury in rats
Author(s) -
Frontera Walter R.,
Choi Howard,
Krishnan Gomathi,
Krivickas Lisa S.,
Sabharwal Sunil,
Teng Yang D.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.20530
Subject(s) - spinal cord injury , contractility , medicine , spinal cord , muscle fibre , muscle weakness , anatomy , muscle contraction , atrophy , weakness , muscle atrophy , skeletal muscle , psychiatry
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in muscle weakness but the degree of impairment at the level of single fibers is not known. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of T9–level SCI on single muscle fibers from the tibialis anterior of rats. Significant decreases in cross‐sectional area (CSA), maximal force (Po), and specific force (SF = Po/CSA) were noted at 2 weeks. Atrophy and force‐generating capacity were reversed at 4 weeks, but SF remained impaired. Maximum shortening velocity (Vo) did not change after injury. SCI thus appears to affect various contractile properties of single muscle fibers differently. Normal cage activity may partially restore function but new interventions are needed to restore muscle fiber quality. Muscle Nerve, 2006