Intermittent Electrical Stimulation as a Treatment Approach for Deep Tissue Pressure Injury after a Spinal Cord Injury

• Author / Creator

  Velanki, Hemalatha

• The goal of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of action of an intermittent electrical stimulation (IES) paradigm on the healing of deep-seated muscle injury. Electrical stimulation has been extensively studied for the treatment of open wounds, often with amplitudes lower than motor threshold. The effect of electrical stimulation producing palpable muscle contractions on the cellular events in deep-seated muscle injury has not been explored. In this study, an IES paradigm was tested in rats with complete spinal cord injury (SCI) in which a deep-seated muscle injury was induced. The goals of the study were to: (i) assess the natural progression of a muscle injury; and (ii) the role of IES in expediting the rate of healing. Three groups of rats were used: (a) muscle injury only, (b) IES only, and (c) muscle injury with IES. Magnetic resonance imaging monitored the extent and progression of muscle injury 1, 3, 5 and 7 days post-induction of injury and/or initiation of IES. Immunohistochemistry assessed the severity of injury and rate of healing by evaluating the presence of inflammatory and satellite cells, and embryonic myofibres. When applied on day 1 after the induction of muscle injury, IES significantly reduced the edema associated with the injury, increased M1 and M2 macrophages and increased satellite cell proliferation. It also decreased the overall size of injury. This suggested that when applied early after muscle injury, IES can expedite anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative events, and may be an effective means for treating deep-seated muscle injury.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • macrophages
  • electrical stimulation
  • regeneration
  • satellite cells
  • muscle fibre
  • pro-inflammatory macrophages
  • anti-inflammatory macrophages

• Graduation date

  Fall 2018

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3QB9VN3J

• License

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