Muscle injuries, their healing process and treatment

Muscle injuries represent one of the most common traumas in sports medicine. They have different clinical manifestations depending on the trauma mechanism: laceration, contusion and strain. The range of lesions varies from minor partial ruptures to complete ruptures of the muscle. The muscular tissue has a capacity to regenerate and the healing process consists of regeneration of muscle fibres and formation of a connective tissue scar. The healing is also greatly dependent on the ingrowth of vascularity and regeneration of intramuscular nerve branches. Immobilization and mobilization have a notable impact on the recovery, the former being of importance initially by reducing the size of injury and the latter later on by inducing greater granulation tissue production. Mobilization treatment is also a prerequisite for intensive muscle fibre regeneration and better preconditions to achieve the original tensile properties of the muscle. Surgical intervention is occasionally needed in complete ruptures to evacuate the haematoma or to suture the ruptured ends of the muscle to apposition.