CELLULAR-RESPONSES IN EXERTION-INDUCED SKELETAL-MUSCLE INJURY

Muscle injury is a common result of muscle exertion caused by overload and over-activity. In this presentation, an attempt was made to discu ss models of muscle injury which involve exertion but not excessive st rain, although most functional activities of the extremities require s ome eccentric muscle actions. Muscle injury is characterized by cellul ar and extracellular matrix responses which appear to be common to all types of muscle trauma - even in the absence of bleeding. Using tenot omy and functional over-load of the rat hindlimb muscles as examples, illustrations of several of these responses are presented and discusse d.