Influence of electrostimulation on the structural and functional characteristics of the muscles of the front abdomen

Abstract

The purpose of the work is to study the effect of different-frequency electrical stimulation of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall after hernioplasty.Research methods. Studies were performed on 40 rats with a simulated experimental ventral hernia after plasty with a polypropylene mesh. After hernioplasty, 20 animals received a physiotherapy course using pulsed electric current using the Neuro-pulse stimulator with various frequency characteristics (10, 100, 1000 Hz). Electrical stimulation was performed daily for 2 min for 10 days. The stimulation courses were repeated three times with 20‑day breaks. The material for the morphological study was prepared by the conventional method after 70 days.Results. The established degree of destructive changes in the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall in the area of the ventral hernia is directly dependent on the ratio of muscle and connective tissue fibers. The use of electrostimulation therapy enhances the repair processes and significantly reduces the recovery time of the structural and functional properties of skeletal muscles after modelling a ventral hernia with subsequent plastic surgery with a polypropylene mesh. The greatest therapeutic effect of electrical stimulation is observed at an electric field frequency of 10 Hz, and structural characteristics indicate a greater severity of signs of increased resistance to fatigue with a lower degree of functional tension of muscle fibers.Conclusion. Morphological changes in the rectus abdominis muscle, which are observed after electrostimulation, form the structural basis of the functional rehabilitation of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall in ventral hernias.