The most widely accepted theory regarding the etiology of neuromuscular dysfunction in PPS -- known as the "peripheral disintegration" model -- was proposed by Wiechers and Hubbell in 1981.

To understand the concept of peripheral disintegration, one must first learn what occurs at the neuronal level in acute paralytic polio, as well as the processes underlying the post-polio recovery period.

TRANSMISSION OF NERVE IMPULSES ACROSS THE NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION (NMJ)

In this depiction of a normal NMJ...
...the neurotransmitter acetylcholine -- depicted in green -- diffuses across the gap between the axon and the muscle fiber -- known as the synapse...
...and binds with receptors on the muscle fiber.
The muscle fiber then undergoes depolarization and contraction.

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