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Serial assessment of functional recovery following nerve injury using implantable thin‐film wireless nerve stimulators
Author(s) -
Gamble Paul,
Stephen Manu,
MacEwan Matthew,
Ray Wilson Z.
Publication year - 2016
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.25153
Subject(s) - medicine , peripheral nerve , peripheral nerve injury , nerve stimulator , sciatic nerve , nerve injury , anesthesia , anatomy
: Comprehensive assessment of the time course of functional recovery following peripheral nerve repair is critical for surgical management of peripheral nerve injuries. This study describes the design and implementation of a novel implantable wireless nerve stimulator capable of repeatedly interfacing peripheral nerve tissue and providing serial evaluation of functional recovery postoperatively. Methods : Thin‐film wireless implants were fabricated and subcutaneously implanted into Lewis rats. Wireless implants were used to serially stimulate rat sciatic nerve and assess functional recovery over 3 months following various nerve injuries. Results : Wireless stimulators demonstrated consistent performances over 3 months in vivo and successfully facilitated serial assessment of nerve and muscle function following nerve crush and nerve transection injuries. Conclusions : This study highlights the ability of implantable wireless nerve stimulators to provide a unique view into the time course of functional recovery in multiple motor targets. Muscle Nerve 54 : 1114–1119, 2016