Effect of single and periodic contusion on the rat soleus muscle at different stages of regeneration

This work analyzed the rat soleus muscle after single and recurrent contusions at different stages of regeneration. A noninvasive contusion was produced by a type of drop‐mass equipment. The posterior region of the right hind limb received a trauma and both right and left soleus muscles were analyzed 1, 4, and 6 days after a single contusion (1×), and 6 and 30 days after periodic contusions (10×, one trauma per week for 10 weeks). Single contusion: there was no significant difference between right and left soleus muscle weight. All animals showed abundant signs of acute damage in the right soleus . AChE activity was identified in regeneration segments of the right soleus . Periodic contusions: there was an increase in the right soleus muscle weight (α = 5%) only in the animals evaluated 6 days after periodic contusions. The right soleus muscle showed a high incidence of chronic signs of damage, such as split fibers and a centralized nucleus, which predominated when compared with the acute signs. Right soleus muscles showed split fibers with AChE activity in both the proximal and middle regions. There was no difference in the incidence of muscle fiber types (I, II, and IIC) between right and left soleus muscles after periodic contusions. Skeletal muscle contusion is common in humans, especially in sport activities, where repetitive traumas are also frequent. The results of this work indicate that despite the regeneration process there is an important change in the morphological aspect of regenerated muscle fibers, which possibly affect muscle performance. Anat Rec 254:281–287, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.