HHS Public Access Author manuscript Author Manuscript
Exp Gerontol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 October 01. Published in final edited form as: Exp Gerontol. 2016 October ; 83: 37–46. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2016.07.008.
Recovery from Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury: A Comparison Between Young and Aged Rats John T. Kim, BSa, Benjamin Kasukonis, MSa, Lemuel Brown, MSb, Tyrone Washington, PhDb, and Jeffrey C. Wolchok, PhDa aDepartment
of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
Author Manuscript
bDepartment
of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, College of Education and Health Professions, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
Abstract
Author Manuscript Author Manuscript
Termed volumetric muscle loss (VML), the bulk loss of skeletal muscle tissue either through trauma or surgery overwhelms the capacity for repair, leading to the formation of non-contractile scar tissue. The myogenic potential, along with other factors that influence wound repair are known to decline with age. In order to develop effective treatment strategies for VML injuries that are effective across a broad range of patient populations, it is necessary to understand how the response to VML injury is affected by aging. Towards this end, this study was conducted to compare the response of young and aged animal groups to a lower extremity VML injury. Young (3 months, n=12) and aged (18 months, n=8) male Fischer 344 rats underwent surgical VML injury of the tibialis anterior muscle. Three months after VML injury it was found that young TA muscle was on average 16% heavier than aged muscle when no VML injury was performed and 25% heavier when comparing VML treated young and aged animals (p
Exp Gerontol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 October 01. Published in final edited form as: Exp Gerontol. 2016 October ; 83: 37–46. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2016.07.008.
Recovery from Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury: A Comparison Between Young and Aged Rats John T. Kim, BSa, Benjamin Kasukonis, MSa, Lemuel Brown, MSb, Tyrone Washington, PhDb, and Jeffrey C. Wolchok, PhDa aDepartment
of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701
Author Manuscript
bDepartment
of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, College of Education and Health Professions, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
Abstract
Author Manuscript Author Manuscript
Termed volumetric muscle loss (VML), the bulk loss of skeletal muscle tissue either through trauma or surgery overwhelms the capacity for repair, leading to the formation of non-contractile scar tissue. The myogenic potential, along with other factors that influence wound repair are known to decline with age. In order to develop effective treatment strategies for VML injuries that are effective across a broad range of patient populations, it is necessary to understand how the response to VML injury is affected by aging. Towards this end, this study was conducted to compare the response of young and aged animal groups to a lower extremity VML injury. Young (3 months, n=12) and aged (18 months, n=8) male Fischer 344 rats underwent surgical VML injury of the tibialis anterior muscle. Three months after VML injury it was found that young TA muscle was on average 16% heavier than aged muscle when no VML injury was performed and 25% heavier when comparing VML treated young and aged animals (p
