Two years of Functional Electrical Stimulation by large surface electrodes for denervated muscles improve skin epidermis in SCI
Our previous studies have shown that severely atrophic Quadriceps muscles of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients suffering with complete conus and cauda equina lesions, and thus with permanent denervation-induced atrophy and degeneration of muscle fibers, were almost completely rescued to normal size...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PAGEPress Publications
2018-03-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Translational Myology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/bam/article/view/7373 |
| _version_ | 1811307178762436608 |
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| author | Giovanna Albertin Helmut Kern Christian Hofer Diego Guidolin Andrea Porzionato Anna Rambaldo Raffaele De Caro Francesco Piccione Andrea Marcante Sandra Zampieri |
| author_facet | Giovanna Albertin Helmut Kern Christian Hofer Diego Guidolin Andrea Porzionato Anna Rambaldo Raffaele De Caro Francesco Piccione Andrea Marcante Sandra Zampieri |
| author_sort | Giovanna Albertin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Our previous studies have shown that severely atrophic Quadriceps muscles of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients suffering with complete conus and cauda equina lesions, and thus with permanent denervation-induced atrophy and degeneration of muscle fibers, were almost completely rescued to normal size after two years of home-based Functional Electrical Stimulation (h-bFES). Since we used large surface electrodes to stimulate the thigh muscles, we wanted to know if the skin was affected by long-term treatment. Here we report preliminary data of morphometry of skin biopsies harvested from legs of 3 SCI patients before and after two years of h-bFES to determine the total area of epidermis in transverse skin sections. By this approach we support our recently published results obtained randomly measuring skin thickness in the same biopsies after H-E stain. The skin biopsies data of three subjects, taken together, present indeed a statistically significant 30% increase in the area of the epidermis after two years of h-bFES. In conclusion, we confirm a long term positive modulation of electrostimulated epidermis, that correlates with the impressive improvements of the FES-induced muscle strength and bulk, and of the size of the muscle fibers after 2-years of h-bFES. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:58:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-55d7bd09ff0f407e99ccdfd3133d19b4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2037-7452 2037-7460 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:58:48Z |
| publishDate | 2018-03-01 |
| publisher | PAGEPress Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Translational Myology |
| spelling | doaj.art-55d7bd09ff0f407e99ccdfd3133d19b42022-12-22T02:53:11ZengPAGEPress PublicationsEuropean Journal of Translational Myology2037-74522037-74602018-03-0128110.4081/ejtm.2018.73735602Two years of Functional Electrical Stimulation by large surface electrodes for denervated muscles improve skin epidermis in SCIGiovanna Albertin0Helmut Kern1Christian Hofer2Diego Guidolin3Andrea Porzionato4Anna Rambaldo5Raffaele De Caro6Francesco Piccione7Andrea Marcante8Sandra Zampieri9Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, University of PadovaLudwig Boltzmann Institute of Electrical Stimulation and Physical Rehabilitation, Vienna; Physiko- und Rheumatherapie, St. PoeltenLudwig Boltzmann Institute of Electrical Stimulation and Physical Rehabilitation, ViennaDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, University of PadovaDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, University of PadovaDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, University of PadovaDepartment of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, University of PadovaIRCCS Fondazione Ospedale San Camillo, VeniceIRCCS Fondazione Ospedale San Camillo, VenicePhysiko- und Rheumatherapie, St. Poelten, Austria; Interdepartmental Research Center of Myology, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, Italy; A&C M-C Foundation for Translational Myology, Padova, ItalyOur previous studies have shown that severely atrophic Quadriceps muscles of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients suffering with complete conus and cauda equina lesions, and thus with permanent denervation-induced atrophy and degeneration of muscle fibers, were almost completely rescued to normal size after two years of home-based Functional Electrical Stimulation (h-bFES). Since we used large surface electrodes to stimulate the thigh muscles, we wanted to know if the skin was affected by long-term treatment. Here we report preliminary data of morphometry of skin biopsies harvested from legs of 3 SCI patients before and after two years of h-bFES to determine the total area of epidermis in transverse skin sections. By this approach we support our recently published results obtained randomly measuring skin thickness in the same biopsies after H-E stain. The skin biopsies data of three subjects, taken together, present indeed a statistically significant 30% increase in the area of the epidermis after two years of h-bFES. In conclusion, we confirm a long term positive modulation of electrostimulated epidermis, that correlates with the impressive improvements of the FES-induced muscle strength and bulk, and of the size of the muscle fibers after 2-years of h-bFES.http://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/bam/article/view/7373spinal cord injury, denervated-degenerating muscle, long-term effects, h-bFES, skin biopsy, morphometry of epidermis |
| spellingShingle | Giovanna Albertin Helmut Kern Christian Hofer Diego Guidolin Andrea Porzionato Anna Rambaldo Raffaele De Caro Francesco Piccione Andrea Marcante Sandra Zampieri Two years of Functional Electrical Stimulation by large surface electrodes for denervated muscles improve skin epidermis in SCI European Journal of Translational Myology spinal cord injury, denervated-degenerating muscle, long-term effects, h-bFES, skin biopsy, morphometry of epidermis |
| title | Two years of Functional Electrical Stimulation by large surface electrodes for denervated muscles improve skin epidermis in SCI |
| title_full | Two years of Functional Electrical Stimulation by large surface electrodes for denervated muscles improve skin epidermis in SCI |
| title_fullStr | Two years of Functional Electrical Stimulation by large surface electrodes for denervated muscles improve skin epidermis in SCI |
| title_full_unstemmed | Two years of Functional Electrical Stimulation by large surface electrodes for denervated muscles improve skin epidermis in SCI |
| title_short | Two years of Functional Electrical Stimulation by large surface electrodes for denervated muscles improve skin epidermis in SCI |
| title_sort | two years of functional electrical stimulation by large surface electrodes for denervated muscles improve skin epidermis in sci |
| topic | spinal cord injury, denervated-degenerating muscle, long-term effects, h-bFES, skin biopsy, morphometry of epidermis |
| url | http://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/bam/article/view/7373 |
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