Ultrastructure of experimental crush injury in rats

Crush Syndrome is a potentially life-threatening condition that develops in humans trapped under debris of collapsed building such as occur in mass catastrophes such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and following explosions such as those of bombings or missile attacks. Traumatic pressure damage on limbs can result in myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. The consequences of muscle breakdown lead to major physiological disturbances and may result in acute renal failure if the condition is not recognised and dealt with as an emergency. Whereas there is now considerable progress in treating the condition, much less is known about the basic biology of the muscle pathology and the potential for repair of the traumatized muscle. In the present study we have developed a rat model in which controlled external pressure is used to mimic crush damage in humans, and we have followed the early stages of muscle damage and repair using histological and ultrastructural techniques.