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Muscle Recovery and Fibrosis After Strain Injury
Full Title
Biomechanical and histological evaluation of muscle after controlled strain injury
Summary
This animal study evaluated the healing response of rabbit tibialis anterior muscles after controlled strain injury. Injured muscles initially lost nearly 30% of contractile strength, with function worsening to 51.1% at 24 hours, then recovering to 92.5% of baseline by day 7. Histology showed progressive damage and inflammation: early fiber rupture and hemorrhage gave way to necrosis and leukocyte infiltration at 24â48 hours, followed by fibrotic tissue formation by day 7. Despite early recovery of function, scar tissue development persisted. The study highlights how inflammation and fibrosis contribute to recurrent muscle injuries after strain trauma.