Recovery of tetanic contractility of denervated muscle: A step toward a walking aid for foot drop

Abstract

This is a single case report about the possibility to recover tetanic contractility in a peripherally denervated and atrophic tibialis anterior muscle (TA). We performed a first electrostimulation test (ET1) to assess the muscular reactivity to electrical stimulation and measured TA thickness by US. Based on the parameters obtained during ET1, we suggested home-based surface electrostimulation training for 2 months and then we performed a second electrostimulation test (ET2). In ET2 there was an evident reduction of the impulse length necessary to evoke a twitch response, reflecting the fact that there was a recovered excitability of the muscle. Lowering duration of the impulse it could possible to use a higher frequency of stimulation to obtain tetanic contractility, that could represent the best muscular training to avoid atrophy and to use electrical stimulation as walking aid in peripheral denervation. © 2013 by Walter de Gruyter.