Skeletal Muscle: A Potential Power Source for Cardiac Assist Devices

Skeletal muscle has a tremendous capacity for adaptation in increased use, a property that makes in potentially suitable to assist the heart in pumping blood. Heart "ventricles" capable of pumping blood chronically in circulation have been developed based on this concept. Such pumps may some day represent an alternate therapeutic approach to patients with end-stage heart disease or infants with certain congential heart defects.