Table 1.
SCI patients
| Patients | Time intervals between SCI and muscle biopsy, yr | Mean fiber diameter ± SD, mm (n) | Fibers analyzed, n | Severely atrophic fibers, n (%) | Atrophic fibers with some cross-striated areas, n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCI 1 | 0.9 | 27 ± 8 (210) | 38 | 30 (79) | 8 (21) |
| SCI 2 | 1.3 | 16 ± 10 (208) | 41 | 41 (100) | 0 (0) |
| SCI 3 | 1.8 | 24 ± 18 (250) | 47 | 45 (96) | 2 (4) |
| SCI 4 | 1.9 | 11 ± 8 (218) | 38 | 33 (87) | 5 (13) |
| SCI 5 | 4.0 | 9 ± 11 (217) | 49 | 49 (100) | 0 (0) |
All fibers in SCI patients are severely compromised and atrophic. The mean fiber diameter decreases significantly during the first year of denervation and progresses with increasing times. All the fibers analyzed show evident signs of internal disorganization even if a small percentage of the fibers, which decreases with longer denervation times, do have small islands of aligned myofibrils forming a cross-striation.