Human Skeletal Muscle Biopsy Procedures Using the Modified Bergström Technique

Summary

The purpose of this video is to present the modified Bergström skeletal muscle biopsy technique on human subjects.

Abstract

The percutaneous biopsy technique enables researchers and clinicians to collect skeletal muscle tissue samples. The technique is safe and highly effective. This video describes the percutaneous biopsy technique using a modified Bergström needle to obtain skeletal muscle tissue samples from the vastus lateralis of human subjects. The Bergström needle consists of an outer cannula with a small opening (‘window’) at the side of the tip and an inner trocar with a cutting blade at the distal end. Under local anesthesia and aseptic conditions, the needle is advanced into the skeletal muscle through an incision in the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fascia. Next, suction is applied to the inner trocar, the outer trocar is pulled back, skeletal muscle tissue is drawn into the window of the outer cannula by the suction, and the inner trocar is rapidly closed, thus cutting or clipping the skeletal muscle tissue sample. The needle is rotated 90° and another cut is made. This process may be repeated three more times. This multiple cutting technique typically produces a sample of 100-200 mg or more in healthy subjects and can be done immediately before, during, and after a bout of exercise or other intervention. Following post-biopsy dressing of the incision site, subjects typically resume their activities of daily living right away and can fully participate in vigorous physical activity within 48-72 hr. Subjects should avoid heavy resistance exercise for 48 hr to reduce the risk of herniation of the muscle through the incision in the fascia.

Introduction

The percutaneous or ‘semi-open’ biopsy technique is used to obtain skeletal muscle tissue specimens from human patients and research subjects. Duchenne (1806-1875) is credited as the first to construct a needle with a trocar to obtain skeletal muscle from living subjects through percutaneous biopsy¹. In the 1960’s, Bergström introduced a percutaneous biopsy needle similar to that described by Duchenne^2-4. Twenty years later, Evans et al.⁵ modified the technique by applying suction through the cutting trocar of the Bergström needle. This modification can enhance the yield of tissue 3- to 5-fold^6....

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Protocol

The skeletal muscle procedure as described follows the guidelines of the Appalachian State University Institutional Review Board.

NOTE: The team consists of an operator (Ph.D. or M.D. trained in the biopsy technique), and at least one, but ideally, three or more technicians. The operator is responsible for conducting and overseeing all aspects of the skeletal muscle biopsy procedure. One technician (technician #1) is immediately responsible for assisting the operator with all aspects of muscle extraction. This includes being the “non-sterile hands” and applying suction with a sterile syringe. A second technician (technician #2) ....

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Results

The muscle biopsy procedure as described above allows the researcher to quickly and consistently collect skeletal muscle tissue samples. The typical yield in healthy, athletic subjects is 200 mg or more in a single pass with 3-4 clips. The procedure takes 15-20 min, most of which is spent in preparation for the incision. In exercise-based studies, muscle samples are often taken pre- and post-exercise, with one or two samples collected during recovery. With this design, the hair on the post-exercise (contralateral) thigh .......

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Discussion

This video provides a step-by-step summary of the skeletal muscle biopsy procedure used at the ASU Human Performance Laboratory. This procedure, with small modifications, has been used to collect approximately 1,600 muscle biopsies during the past 13 years. The muscle biopsy samples have provided important data in sports nutrition based investigations, leading to important research discoveries.

There are many critical techniques to be aware of when performing the modified Bergström skelet.......

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Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Bergström biopsy needle, 5 x 100 mm	Stille Surgical Inc.	119-29187-50	1 ea
Durasorb blue pad	Fisher	22-031-340	case of 300
Prep razor disposable	Moore Medical	89760	1 ea
Shave cream	Moore Medical	92869	1 can
Alcohol swab	Moore Medical	98721	box/200
Povidone-iodine swabsticks (3 pack)	Moore Medical	90691	pack of 50
Face masks	Fisher	19-039-690	case of 50
Sterile gloves; sz 6.5	Moore Medical	68128	box of 50 pairs
Sterile gloves; sz 7.0	Moore Medical	68129	box of 50 pairs
Sterile gloves; sz 8.5	Moore Medical	68132	box of 50 pairs
Fenestrated towel drape	Moore Medical	92712	case of 50
Lidocaine (1% HCl, w/o Epi)	Dealmed	427902	30 cc vial
Ethyl chloride spray	Dealmed	386020	3.5 fl. Oz. bottle
5 ml syringe w/ 21 G needle	Fisher	14-827-48	case of 100
25 G 5/8" needle	Fisher	14-826AA	case of 100
25 G 1 1/2" needle	Fisher	14-826-49	case of 100
Single-use scalpels w/ #11 blade	Fisher	0-8927-5B	box of 20
60 ml Syringe	Fisher	13-689-8	case of 40
~30 inch extension tubing	Fisher	14-169-7A	roll of 50 ft
Metal stopcock	Fisher	01-290-38	each
Polypropylene tubing connector w/ tapered ends, 3.2 to 5.5 mm	Fisher	15-315-28A	case of 100
Yellow pipette tips (1-200 µl)	Fisher	02-681-2	cut off ~15-18 mm of the tip
Topical surgical adhesive	Medline	MSC091076	case of 36 tubes
Topical surgical adhesive	Medline	MSC091076Z	box of 6 tubes
Butterfly stitches (adhesive strips) 1/2" x 4" (6 per pack)	Moore Medical	93050	box/300
Bandadge, Strip, 3/4 x 3 in.	Fisher	19-027-202	pack of 100
Adhesive bandage (5 m rolls)	Fisher	19-027-768	case of 36
1" paper surgical tape	Fisher	19-027-761	case of 12
Sutures (4-0 reverse cutting, FS2)	Moore Medical	82926	box of 36
4 x 4 Sterile gauze pads	Moore Medical	66949	pkg/50
2 x 2 Non-sterile gauze pads	Moore Medical	37336	pkg/200
3 x 4 Non-adherent pads	Moore Medical	74389	bx/100
Autoclave bags 3.5 x 9	Moore Medical	40390	box of 200
Autoclave bags 5.25 x 10	Moore Medical	40391	box of 200
Autoclave indicator tape	Moore Medical	31608	box of 250
Lab coats—small	Fisher	23-900-520A	10/pk
Lab coats—medium	Fisher	23-900-520B	10/pk
Lab coats—large	Fisher	23-900-520C	10/pk
Germicidal Disposable Cloth Wipes	Moore Medical	62879	Can/160