Hindlimb Movements Research Articles

Management of canine distemper, canine babesiosis, helminthiasis in a 6-month-old Nigerian indigenous breed of dogs bitch in Jos - Nigeria

A 6-month-old Nigerian indigenous breed of dog bitch was presented to the Small animal clinic of the University of Jos veterinary teaching hospital, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, with the complaint of paresis and involuntary movement of the left hindlimb and no vaccination history. On clinical examination, the vital parameters were temperature of 39.4 ⁰C, pulse rate of 80 beats per minute and respiratory rate of 60 cycles per minute. The clinical signs were congested ocular mucous membranes, bilateral mucoid oculo-nasal discharge, hardened nasal planum, inflamed submandibular lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy), paresis of the hind limbs, hardened footpads, myoclonus of the left hind limbs (distemper myoclonus), fleas on the ventral abdomen, and epilation. Diagnosis was made based on history, clinical signs, lymphopaenia, canine distemper inclusions bodies, and Babesia canis on the blood smear. The treatment was symptomatical and supportive. The patient partially recovered 7-days post-therapy as the hind limb myoclonus persisted.

Intracortical Hindlimb Brain–Computer Interface Systems: A Systematic Review

Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) can help people with motor disorders to regain their ability to communicate and interact with the surrounding environment. The majority of studies in this field pursue the development of BCI systems to enhance or restore the movement functionality of people with disability. Although the studies on the development of BCIs to restore hindlimb movements have shorter backgrounds compared to forelimb, several studies have investigated hindlimb BCIs and their results were promising. In the present study, we systematically reviewed the studies investigating the decoding of hindlimb movement parameters using intracortical signals. Three scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Embase) were used to extract the articles and the experiment, recording, processing methods, and results of the included studies were discussed. Although several studies on upper-limb intracortical BCIs have been conducted on human subjects, almost all studies in hindlimb intracortical BCIs field were performed on animal subjects. The most investigated task was walking on a treadmill, and the position of hindlimb joints and gait phase were the most studied continuous and discrete parameters, respectively. The included studies have mainly used spikes and linear decoders, which leaves the question of the effectiveness of using local field potentials and nonlinear decoders in this field unanswered. Although the results imply that hindlimb movement decoding using brain signals is feasible in laboratory conditions, further investigations are required to examine the hindlimb BCIs in real-life conditions.

Cell Infiltrative Inner Connected Porous Hydrogel Improves Neural Stem Cell Migration and Differentiation for Functional Repair of Spinal Cord Injury.

The disadvantages of cell-adaptive microenvironments and cellular diffusion out of the lesion have limited hydrogel-based scaffold transplantation treatment for neural connectivity, leading to permanent neurological disability from spinal cord injury. Herein, porous GelMA scaffold was prepared, in which the inner porous structure was optimized. The average pore size was 168 ± 71 μm with a porosity of 77.1%. The modulus of porous hydrogel was 593 ± 4 Pa compared to 1535 ± 85 Pa of bulk GelMA. The inner connected porous structure provided a cell-infiltrative matrix for neural stem cell migration and differentiation in vitro and eventually enhanced neuron differentiation and hindlimb strength and movement of animals in in vivo experiments. Furthermore, inflammation response and apoptosis were also alleviated after implantation. This work demonstrated that the porous hydrogel with appropriately connected micropores exhibit favorable cellular responses compared with traditional non-porous GelMA hydrogel. Taken together, our findings suggest that porous hydrogel is a promising scaffold for future delivery of stem cells and has prospects in material design for the treatment of spinal cord injury.

Remodeling Microenvironment for Endogenous Repair through Precise Modulation of Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans Following Spinal Cord Injury.

The fluid-filled cystic cavity sealed by a dense scar developed following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) has been a major obstacle to neural regeneration and functional recovery. Here the transected lesion is bridged using a functional self-assembling peptide (F-SAP) hydrogel loaded with membrane-permeable intracellular sigma peptide (ISP) and intracellular LAR peptide (ILP), targeted at perturbing chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) inhibitory signaling. As compared to F-SAP hydrogel loaded with chondroitinase ABC, the F-SAP+ISP/ILP promotes a beneficial anti-inflammatory response via manipulation of microglia/macrophages infiltration and assembly of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules into fibrotic matrix rather than scarring tissues. The remodeled ECM creates a permissive environment that supports axon regrowth and the formation of synaptic connections with neurons derived from endogenous neural stem cells. The remodeled networks contribute to functional recovery, as demonstrated by improved hind limb movements and electrophysiological properties. This work proposes a unique mechanism that ECM remodeling induced by CSPG-manipulation-based anti-inflammation can construct a permissive environment for neural regeneration, and shed light on the advancement of manipulation of cascading cellular and molecular events potential for endogenous repair of SCI.

Early neurodevelopmental reflex impairments in a rodent model of cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) causes sensorimotor disabilities due to injury to the developing brain. Experimental models do not always induce the CP phenotype completely. Early neurological assessment predicts future impairments and is valuable during development. Using a rodent model characterized by brain injury caused by maternal inflammation and perinatal anoxia, and sensorimotor restriction (experimental cerebral palsy [ECP]), we describe early neurodevelopmental delays by assessing reflexes in a stage corresponding to the brain development of term infants (Postnatal Day [P] 8 in rats). Pregnant Wistar rats were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 200 μg/kg) (n = 6) or saline (n = 4) on Embryonic Days 18/19. Following delivery, 87 male and female pups were used. At P0, injured animals were exposed to anoxia for 20'. From P2 to P21, ECP rats were subjected to hindlimb movement restriction for 16 h/day. ECP group had impaired righting reflex and negative geotaxis and, interestingly, performed home bedding test better than controls. From P7, ECP animals showed decreased body weight compared with controls. Overall, data provide evidence showing that this CP model based on the association of brain damage followed by sensorimotor restriction mimics CP delays and highlights the valuable information given by early neurological assessment during the establishment of the CP phenotype.

Thalamocortical and corticothalamic connections of multiple functional domains in posterior parietal cortex of galagos.

In prosimian galagos, the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is subdivided into a number of functional domains where long-train intracortical microstimulation evoked different types of complex movements. Here, we placed anatomical tracers in multiple locations of PPC to reveal the origins and targets of thalamic connections of four PPC domains for different types of hindlimb, forelimb, or face movements. Thalamic connections of all four domains included nuclei of the motor thalamus, ventral anterior and ventral lateral nuclei, as well as parts of the sensory thalamus, the anterior pulvinar, posterior and ventral posterior superior nuclei, consistent with the sensorimotor functions of PPC domains. PPC domains also projected to the thalamic reticular nucleus in a somatotopic pattern. Quantitative differences in the distributions of labeled neurons in thalamic nuclei suggested that connectional patterns of these domains differed from each other.

Control of Forelimb and Hindlimb Movements and Their Coordination during Quadrupedal Locomotion across Speeds in Adult Spinal Cats.

Coordinating the four limbs is critical for terrestrial mammalian locomotion. Thoracic spinal transection abolishes neural communication between the brain and spinal networks controlling hindlimb/leg movements. Several studies have shown that animal models of spinal transection (spinalization), such as mice, rats, cats, and dogs recover hindlimb locomotion with the forelimbs stationary or suspended. We know less on the ability to generate quadrupedal locomotion after spinal transection, however. We collected kinematic and electromyography data in four adult cats during quadrupedal locomotion at five treadmill speeds before (intact cats) and after low-thoracic spinal transection (spinal cats). We show that adult spinal cats performed quadrupedal treadmill locomotion and modulated their speed from 0.4 m/sec to 0.8 m/sec but required perineal stimulation. During quadrupedal locomotion, several compensatory strategies occurred, such as postural adjustments of the head and neck and the appearance of new coordination patterns between the forelimbs and hindlimbs, where the hindlimbs took more steps than the forelimbs. We also observed temporal changes, such as shorter forelimb cycle/swing durations and shorter hindlimb cycle/stance durations in the spinal state. Forelimb double support periods occupied a greater proportion of the cycle in the spinal state, and hindlimb stride length was shorter. Coordination between the forelimbs and hindlimbs was weakened and more variable in the spinal state. Changes in muscle activity reflected spatiotemporal changes in the locomotor pattern. Despite important changes in the pattern, our results indicate that biomechanical properties of the musculoskeletal system play an important role in quadrupedal locomotion and offset some of the loss in neural communication between networks controlling the forelimbs and hindlimbs after spinal transection.

Gait regulation of hindlimb based on central pattern generator in rats with a spinal cord injury.

A spinal stimulator that can regulate hindlimb movements using monopolar stimulation has not been developed yet. Nevertheless, in a previous study, we found a specific central pattern generator site on the right side of the rat spinal cord. By stimulating these sites with certain pulse signals, the alternating movement of the hindlimb can be obtained using fewer electrodes. Therefore, in this research, considering the specific central pattern generator site as the target, functional electrical stimulation was performed on rats with spinal cord injury using monopolar stimulation. Angle sensors were used to track and capture the knee joint angle data of the right hindlimb; thus, the mapping relationship between the voltage amplitude and the knee angle parameters was established. Based on this relationship, the rats' hindlimb were controlled. Compared with the traditional spinal stimulator, the proposed approach increases the gait feedback, requires fewer electrodes, and simplifies the timing of stimulation. The rats with spinal cord injury were subjected to stimulation training for half an hour every day for 28 consecutive days. The Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan score showed that 76% of the health level could be achieved on the 28th day. Finally, somatosensory evoked potential analysis showed that the measurement results were close to the standard value on the 28th day. This study lays a foundation for future rehabilitation research on the hindlimb.

Scientists may have discovered why Speedy Gonzales is always fast

Almost every person has walked or run on the beach at some point in their life. Moving on loose sand feels more challenging than walking on a sidewalk. In general, walking on sand requires more work and energy and this is not unique to humans. Now, you may also be familiar with Speedy Gonzales, a Looney Tunes cartoon mouse who runs super-fast all the time. You may wonder how Speedy can always run so fast across all the different terrains that he encounters, but a very similar looking animal to Speedy Gonzales in real life, the kangaroo rat (Dipodomys deserti), may prove that the cartoon's versatility is not so far off reality.Some researchers have previously tested different types of animals, such as lizards and ostriches, running over solid surfaces versus sandy surfaces. This line of research motivated Joseph Hall (Washington State University, USA), Craig McGowan (University of Idaho, USA) and David Lin (Washington State University) to study a hopping animal, the kangaroo rat, to expand on our current understanding of the effects of different types of ground on animal movements. These little hopping animals are equally adept moving across rocky and sandy terrains, both of which exist in their natural desert habitat. So, the researchers cleverly developed the very first variable terrain rotatory treadmill and put these animals to the test hopping on a solid and a sandy surface while controlling the speed and recording video of the animals’ manoeuvres.However, before the kangaroo rats were allowed to hop in place, the team had to ensure that the level of sand on the treadmill was sufficient to prevent the animal from touching the solid base beneath. To do this they designed a device that can measure how far the rodents’ feet would penetrate the sand and determined that at least 1.5 cm of sand was sufficient.Although the six desert kangaroo rats had to move at five different speeds, ranging from 1.25 to 2.25 m s−1, Hall and colleagues only analysed the motion of the little rodents’ hind legs at 1.8 m s−1, the speed at which these animals tend to hop in the wild. Comparing the animals’ hopping styles on solid and sandy surfaces, they found no significant difference in the amount of time the animals’ feet were in contact with the ground or the distance covered during each hop. Also, the researchers found no meaningful difference in the rodent's speed and acceleration between the two different surfaces, although the animals were more crouched when hopping on sand.Even though the environment has induced changes in the running styles of some animals, it appears that kangaroo rats have evolved so that changes in the surface they hop around on does not affect their speed. They maintain very similar physical hindlimb movements regardless of the firmness of the surface that they are moving over, suggesting that they are finely tuned to their environment. And even though Speedy Gonzales is a runner and kangaroo rats hop, the discovery that kangaroo rats are perfectly tuned to move on hard and soft surfaces could hold the key to Speedy's super-fast reputation.

Campylobacter jejuni induces autoimmune peripheral neuropathy via Sialoadhesin and Interleukin-4 axes

ABSTRACT Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of gastroenteritis that has been causally linked with development of the autoimmune peripheral neuropathy Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS). Previously, we showed that C. jejuni isolates from human enteritis patients induced Type1/17-cytokine dependent colitis in interleukin-10 (IL-10)−/− mice, while isolates from GBS patients colonized these mice without colitis but instead induced autoantibodies that cross-reacted with the sialylated oligosaccharide motifs on the LOS of GBS-associated C. jejuni and the peripheral nerve gangliosides. We show here that infection of IL-10−/− mice with the GBS but not the colitis isolate led to sciatic nerve inflammation and abnormal gait and hind limb movements, with character and timing consistent with this syndrome in humans. Autoantibody responses and associated nerve histologic changes were dependent on IL-4 production by CD4 T cells. We further show that Siglec-1 served as a central antigen presenting cell receptor mediating the uptake of the GBS isolates via interaction with the sialylated oligosaccharide motifs found specifically on the LOS of GBS-associated C. jejuni, and the ensuing T cell differentiation and autoantibody elicitation. Sialylated oligosaccharide motifs on the LOS of GBS-associated C. jejuni therefore acted as both the Siglec-1-ligand for phagocytosis, as well as the epitope for autoimmunity. Overall, we present a mouse model of an autoimmune disease induced directly by a bacterium that is dependent upon Siglec-1 and IL-4. We also demonstrate the negative regulatory role of IL-10 in C. jejuni induced autoimmunity and provide IL-4 and Siglec-1 blockade as potential therapeutic interventions against GBS.

Control strategy for intraspinal microstimulation based on central pattern generator

Intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) is considered as a special functional electrical stimulation (FES) method. This method can restore the movement of paralyzed limbs in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) using electrical stimulation of spinal cord. There is a special site for central pattern generator (CPG) in the spinal cord. The ISMS acts on the CPG site, and single electrode stimulation produces alternating motion in the hindlimbs of SCI rats. Based on the long short-term memory network (LSTM), a mapping model was established between the stimulation intensity of specific CPG sites and the angle of the knee joint to reflect the motor characteristics of the rat hindlimb. We proposed an LSTM-iterative learning control (ILC) strategy to form a closed-loop control to accurately control hindlimb movement. The proposed LSTM model fits the actual joint angle curve well, and the LSTM-ILC strategy can accurately regulate the hindlimb movement, allowing rats to perform rehabilitation training based on pre-set knee trajectories.

Sacral neuromodulation of bladder underactivity induced by prolonged pudendal afferent firing in cats.

This study examined the effect of sacral neuromodulation on persistent bladder underactivity induced by prolonged pudendal nerve stimulation (PudNS). In 10 α-chloralose-anesthetized cats, repetitive application of 30-min PudNS induced bladder underactivity evident as an increase in bladder capacity during a cystometrogram (CMG). S1 or S2 dorsal root stimulation (15 or 30 Hz) at 1 or 1.5 times threshold intensity (T) for inducing reflex hindlimb movement (S1) or anal sphincter twitch (S2) was applied during a CMG to determine if the stimulation can reverse the bladder underactivity. Persistent (>3 h) bladder underactivity consisting of a significant increase in bladder capacity to 163.1 ± 11.3% of control was induced after repetitive (1-10 times) application of 30-min PudNS. S2 but not S1 dorsal root stimulation at 15 Hz and 1 T intensity reversed the PudNS-induced bladder underactivity by significantly reducing the large bladder capacity to 124.3 ± 12.9% of control. Other stimulation parameters were not effective. After the induction of persistent underactivity, recordings of reflex bladder activity under isovolumetric conditions revealed that S2 dorsal root stimulation consistently induced the largest bladder contraction at 15 Hz and 1 T when compared with other frequencies (5-40 Hz) or intensities (0.25-1.5 T). This study provides basic science evidence consistent with the hypothesis that abnormal pudendal afferent activity contributes to the bladder underactivity in Fowler's syndrome and that sacral neuromodulation treats this disorder by reversing the bladder inhibition induced by pudendal nerve afferent activity.

Vitamin D Promotes Remyelination by Suppressing c-Myc and Inducing Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cell Differentiation after Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.

Demyelination due to oligodendrocytes loss occurs after traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). Several studies have suggested the therapeutic potential of vitamin D (VitD) in demyelinating diseases. However, experimental evidence in the context of TSCI is limited, particularly in the presence of prior VitD-deficiency. In the present study, a contusion and a transection TSCI rat model were used, representing mild and severe injury, respectively. Motor recovery was assessed in rats with normal VitD level or with VitD-deficiency after 8 weeks' treatment post-TSCI (Cholecalciferol, 500 IU/kg/day). The impact on myelin integrity was examined by transmission electron microscopy and studied in vitro using primary culture of oligodendrocytes. We found that VitD treatment post-TSCI effectively improved hindlimb movement in rats with normal VitD level irrespective of injury severity. However, cord-transected rats with prior deficiency did not seem to benefit from VitD supplementation. Our data further suggested that having sufficient VitD was essential for persevering myelin integrity after injury. VitD rescued oligodendrocytes from apoptotic cell death in vitro and enhanced their myelinating ability towards dorsal root axons. Enhanced myelination was mediated by increased oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) differentiation into oligodendrocytes in concert with c-Myc downregulation and suppressed OPCs proliferation. Our study provides novel insights into the functioning of VitD as a regulator of OPCs differentiation as well as strong preclinical evidence supporting future clinical testing of VitD for TSCI.

Erratum: Mayer and Akay, "The Role of Muscle Spindle Feedback in the Guidance of Hindlimb Movement by the Ipsilateral Forelimb during Locomotion in Mice".

Erratum: Mayer and Akay, "The Role of Muscle Spindle Feedback in the Guidance of Hindlimb Movement by the Ipsilateral Forelimb during Locomotion in Mice".

Postcooling But Not Precooling Benefits Motor Recovery by Suppressing Cell Death After Surgical Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

Surgical spinal cord injury (SSCI) is often inevitable in patients with intramedullary lesions. Although regional hypothermia (RH) has been demonstrated neuroprotective, the value of priming RH in SSCI has never been studied. Herein, the authors investigated the impact of pre- and post-RH on neurologic recovery in a clinically relevant model. An SSCI model was established at T10. RH was conducted by focal 4oC saline perfusion; room temperature (RT) saline was used as controls. Animals were randomized into 6 groups: SHAM-RT/RH, Pre-RT/RH, and Post-RT/RH. Motor and sensory functions were evaluated using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan rating scale and Plantar test 2 weeks after surgery. TUNEL assay and Fluoro-Jade C staining were conducted to examine the cell death, and the alterations of apoptotic markers including total and cleaved casepase 3, Bcl-2, and Bax, as well as the pyroptotic proteins including NLRP3, ASC, and caspase 1, were determined. RH perfusion successfully created an intramedullary hypothermia approximately at 24oC, while RT controls remained above 30oC. Animals receiving postinjury RH had the least cell death and the best motor performance, while pre-RH showed the most dead cells and worst hind limb movements. Immunoblotting depicted that post-RH suppressed both apoptotic and pyroptotic death as the cleaved/total caspase 3, Bcl-2/Bax ratio, and NLRP3/ASC/caspase 1 signaling were inhibited. Priming cooling, on the contrary, elevated pyroptosis and did not affect apoptosis significantly. Priming RH before surgical incision could not be supported as it caused excessive cell death. In contrast, instant introduction of RH is beneficial in rescuing neurologic function.

Targeting the motor cortex to restore walking after incomplete spinal cord injury.

Targeting the motor cortex to restore walking after incomplete spinal cord injury.

Modeling optical design parameters for fine stimulation in sciatic nerve of optogenetic mice

Optogenetics presents an alternative method for interfacing with the nervous system over the gold-standard of electrical stimulation. While electrical stimulation requires electrodes to be surgically embedded in tissue for in vivo studies, optical stimulation offers a less-invasive approach that may yield more specific, localized stimulation. The advent of optogenetic laboratory animals—whose motor neurons can be activated when illuminated with blue light—enables research into refining optical stimulation of the mammalian nervous system where subsets of nerve fibers within a nerve may be stimulated without embedding any device directly into the nerve itself. However, optical stimulation has a major drawback in that light is readily scattered and absorbed in tissue thereby limiting the depth with which a single emission source can penetrate. We hypothesize that the use of multiple, focused light emissions deployed around the circumference of a nerve can overcome these light-scattering limitations. To understand the physical parameters necessary to produce pinpointed light stimulation within a single nerve, we employed a simplified Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the size of nerves where this technique may be successful, as well as the necessary optical lens design for emitters to be used during future in vivo studies. By modeling multiple focused beams, we find that only fascicles within a nerve diameter less than 1 mm are fully accessible to focused optical stimulation; a minimum of 4 light sources is required to generate a photon intensity at a point in a nerve over the initial contact along its surface. To elicit the same effect in larger nerves, focusing lenses would require a numerical aperture > 1. These simulations inform on the design of instrumentation capable of stimulating disparate motor neurons in mouse sciatic nerve to control hindlimb movement.

Effects of Varying Pulse Width and Frequency of Wireless Stimulation in Rat Sciatic Nerve.

Peripheral nerve stimulation is a commonly used method for assisting movements after spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and other types of neurological damage or dysfunction. There are many different patterns of electrical stimulation used to accomplish movement. And so, our study investigated stimulation with a wireless floating microelectrode array (WFMA) in comparison to previously reported data on functional electrical stimulation. To determine the effect on hindlimb movement, we tested a range of frequencies and pulse widths using WFMAs that were implanted in the rat sciatic nerve for 38 weeks. Frequencies between 1 and 50 Hz did not change the minimum current amplitude required to elicit movement in the hindlimb. Increasing pulse width from 57.2 to 400.4 µs decreased the minimum current required but had an associated increase in total charge applied per pulse. Overall, the WFMA provides a stable wireless peripheral nerve interface suitable for functional electrical stimulation.Clinical Relevance- This work establishes the efficacy of various stimulation parameters for controlling movement with a wireless peripheral nerve stimulator.

The Role of Muscle Spindle Feedback in the Guidance of Hindlimb Movement by the Ipsilateral Forelimb during Locomotion in Mice.

Safe and efficient locomotion relies on placing the foot on a reliable surface at the end of each leg swing movement. Visual information has been shown to be important for determining the location of foot placement in humans during walking when precision is required. Yet in quadrupedal animals where the hindlimbs are outside of the visual field, such as in mice, the mechanisms by which precise foot placement is achieved remain unclear. Here we show that the placement of the hindlimb paw is determined by the position of the forelimb paw during normal locomotion and in the presence of perturbations. When a perturbation elicits a stumbling corrective reaction, we found that the forelimb paw shifts posteriorly relative to body at the end of stance, and this spatial shift is echoed in hindlimb paw placement at the end of the swing movement. Using a mutant mouse line in which muscle spindle feedback is selectively removed, we show that this posterior shift of paw placement is dependent on muscle spindle feedback in the hindlimb but not in the forelimb. These findings uncover a neuronal mechanism that is independent of vision to ensure safe locomotion during perturbation. This mechanism adds to our general knowledge of how the nervous system controls targeted limb movements and could inform the development of autonomous walking machines.

The use of a detailed video-based locomotor pattern analysis system to assess the functional reinnervation of denervated hind limb muscles

BackgroundSpinal cord injuries induce a critical loss of motoneurons followed by irreversible locomotor function impairment. Surgical approaches combined with neuroprotective agents effectively rescue the damaged motoneurons and improve locomotor function. Our aim was to develop a reliable method which is able to provide quantifiable and in-depth data on the locomotor recovery during skeletal muscle reinnervation. New methodSprague-Dawley rats underwent lumbar 4 ventral root avulsion and reimplantation followed by riluzole treatment in order to rescue the injured motoneurons of the damaged pool. Control animals were operated, but received no riluzole treatment. The locomotor pattern of the hind limb was recorded biweekly on a special runway equipped with high resolution and high speed digital cameras producing both lateral and rear views simultaneously. All together 12 parameters of the hind limb movement pattern were evaluated by measuring specific joint angles, footprints and gait parameters in single video frames. Four months after the operation Fast Blue, a fluorescent retrograde tracer was applied to the L4 spinal nerve in order to label the reinnervating motoneurons. ResultsOur results confirmed the sensitivity of our arrangement and established strong relationship between the functional improvement and the morphological reinnervation. Moreover, we developed a correction method to make the system tolerant to the differences in the weight, step duration and step length. Comparison with existing methodsThere are no commercially available cheap, multi-parametric analysing equipment to characterise the gait in its complexity. ConclusionsOur system offers a modular, adaptable and expandable analysis on the reinnervation of the limb musculature in rodents.