Blood supply to the latissimus dorsi muscle and muscle performance during co- or counterpulsatile stimulation for circulatory assist.

For the application of the latissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) to circulatory assist, the muscle is stimulated with co- or counterpulsation during the cardiac cycle. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the blood supply to the LDM and its muscular performance during each respective stimulation. The origin of the LDM was connected to a tension gauge, a potentiometer, and 1 kg of weight in series. The LDM was stimulated at a ratio of 1:1 of heart to muscle contraction for 10 min. Copulsatile stimulation made thoracodorsal arterial flow (TDF) predominant during cardiac diastole. In counterpulsatile stimulation, TDF occurred predominantly during cardiac systole. Between the 2 patterns of stimulation, no significant differences were observed in the mean TDF rate during 1 cardiac cycle. The maximal force, maximal contraction length, and power of the LDM also did not differ significantly. These results suggest that despite the difference of the TDF profile, LDM performance may be comparable between co- and counterpulsatile stimulation for the application of the LDM to circulatory assist.