It was a long and troublesome history but an inspiring and excltmg one too-from the time of Zielonko, a Russian pathologist who in 1874 first transplanted muscles, to the present day microneurovascular muscle graft. Today we know that for functional recovery of muscle tissue vascularisation and neurotisation are of equal importance. With the establishment of microsurgery of small vessels and nerves, its application for myopias tic operations has gained increasing interest. It was my intention to bring together leading authorities from all over the world in the field of muscle transplantation. Open questions and unsolved problems had to be discussed between research workers in the basic medical sciences and our clinical colleagues; in this way progress can best be accomplished. This publication is the result of the "Vienna Muscle Symposium" (June 13-14, 1980). It gives an up-to-date viewpoint and should act as a stimulus to all who are interested in this particular field. I wish to express my sincere thanks to those who have contributed to this publication, to the two co-editors J. Holle and B. M. Carlson for their effective cooperation, and to Springer-Verlag Wien for their prompt and most efficient work.