ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the gracilis muscle in humans that this muscle is a phasic muscle. In biopsies it can be demonstrated that about 44% of the muscle fibers are type I fibers and 56% type II fibers. The gracilis muscle is by its characteristics one of the worst muscles in the human body to use as a replacement of the anal sphincter. The gracilis is a long, thin muscle — as its name indicates — and has a very proximal nerve entrance. The gracilis muscle is technically an ideal muscle for a neo-anal function, but intrinsically a very bad muscle, as indicated before. Chronic stimulation of the gracilis gives a change in muscle composition and the muscle is able to sustain a constant high tonus for a long time. Electrical stimulation of the gracilis can be applied in several ways. The gracilis was treated with a training program in which the muscle was initially stimulated in a cyclic mode.
