Healing of a crush injury in rat striated muscle. 3. A micro-angiographical study of the effect of early mobilization and immobilization on capillary ingrowth.

Vascular ingrowth into the injured area of a partially crushed gastrocnemius muscle was studied by micro-angiography 2 to 14 days after the trauma in 40 rats treated by mobilization or immobilization. In mobilized muscles, the sprouting of new capillaries occurred more rapidly and intensively than in injured muscles treated by immobilization. The sequence of events was found to be slightly delayed if mobilization was started after immobilization for two days. The speed and intensity of tissue repair, as studied histologically, was directly correlated with vascular ingrowth, especially during the first week.