Objective The purpose of this article is to discuss the reconstruction of facial muscle defectswith tissue engi- neered myoblast in SD rats.Methods Using purified, subcultured myoblast of neonatal rats and typeⅠcollagen gels as extracel- lular matrix (ECM) and scaffold, tissue engineered musclewas transplanted in the face of syngeneic mutured rats.Results Tissue engineered myoblast generated and differentiatedin vitrowere observed with microscope. Myoblast fused each other and formed myofibers in the face of rats, nerve fibers and vessels regeneration could also be found in some samples. Postoperative electromyo- graphs showed the myofiberswere active when stimulating the nerve trunk that innervates the engineered facial muscle.Conclusion Tissue engineered method is hopeful to be used as a new technique to reconstruct defects of facial muscle.
