Musculotendon adaptations and preservation of spinal reflex pathways following agonist-to-antagonist tendon transfer

Tendon transfer surgeries aim to restore motor function, but outcomes vary, especially with agonist-to-antagonist muscles. This study investigates whether the lack of sensory feedback reorganization and muscle adaptations impact these outcomes. Researchers examined how the nervous system and muscles adapt after transferring a tendon in cats. They looked at changes in muscle connections and nerve pathways that control movement and sensation. The study found that muscles often try to reconnect to their original positions after surgery, and the nerve pathways don't always rewire as expected. These factors may limit how well the surgery works.

• 1
  New tendinous connections formed after tendon transfer, often near original insertion sites, potentially compromising the mechanical action of the transferred muscle.
• 2
  No evidence of spinal reflex reorganization was found, whether the tendon connection remained intact or tore, suggesting a potential limitation for the transferred muscle to adopt the host muscle's activation patterns.
• 3
  The study highlights that both musculotendon plasticity and the absence of spinal reflex circuitry reorganization can limit functional outcomes following tendon transfer surgery.