Morphological, histological and biomechanical adaptation of the rat musculoskeletal system to electrical muscle stimulation

Vickerton, Paula Morphological, histological and biomechanical adaptation of the rat musculoskeletal system to electrical muscle stimulation. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

Musculoskeletal tissues exhibit a remarkable extent of plasticity throughout life, with tissues continually able to adapt in line with functional demands. As the skeleton plays a major structural role, its form is profoundly influenced by its mechanical environment, which is largely determined by muscular contraction. Despite the clear functional link between muscle and bone relatively little is known about the biomechanical relationship between these tissues. This thesis therefore focuses upon the use of implantable neuromuscular stimulators to provide controlled muscular mechanical stimuli. Stimulators were implanted into Wistar rats, inducing muscular contraction every 30 seconds for 28 days. Following stimulation, microCT, histology, and nanoindentation were used to establish changes occurring at the micro and macro-scale in muscle and skeletal architecture. Analysis revealed a localised region of extensive bone growth, with significant increases in cross-sectional area (28.61%, p

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information:	Date: 2014-10 (completed)
Subjects:	?? Q1 ??
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	06 Aug 2015 09:26
Last Modified:	17 Dec 2022 01:16
DOI:	10.17638/02010684
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/2010684