ABSTRACT
Skeletal muscle has tremendous regenerative capacity, ensuring maintenance of tissue homeostasis and restoration of both structure and function after minor injury. However, adult skeletal muscle may not possess sufcient ability to recover anatomical structure and physiological functions after signicant tissue loss or damage resulting from trauma, tumor ablation, prolonged denervation, or myopathies (Bach, Beieret al. 2004; Wagers and Conboy 2005; Blau 2008). In such cases, surgical intervention is often necessary. However, conventional surgical procedures, such as autologous muscle transplantation and transposition, cause signicant donor site morbidity while only resulting in limited functional recovery (Bach, Beier et al. 2004).
