Dynamic Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed Face—II. Electronic Control of the Reinnervated Facial Musculature from the Contralateral Side in the Rabbit

Abstract

This work is the continuation of a previous pilot study in the rabbit in which motion originating on the face was picked up by miniature strain gages and channeled synchronously to strap muscles reinnervated via crossover nerve-muscle pedicles. In the current series of experiments, we modified the distal limb of the system to reinnervate the previously paralyzed opposite side of the face via an ansa hypoglossi nerve–thyrohyoid muscle pedicle in five animals. Muscular contraction was induced on the intact side by stimulating different branches of the facial nerve, and corresponding information was channeled to the reinnervated side through an upgraded electronic stimulator via monopolar electrodes placed around the nerve pedicle in the neck. In addition to demonstrating perfect synchrony between intact and reinnervated sides, this facial stimulator allowed the reinnervated side of the face to follow the intact side in a graded and sustained fashion, thus demonstrating that fine tuning of reinnervated facial musculature was possible.