EVOLUATION OF THE CHANGES IN GASTROCNEMIUS MUSCLE OF RATS DISTRACTED IN DIFFERING PACES WITH ELECTRON MICROSCOPE

Lengthening of the rodent tibia using an external device was performed to study gastrocnemius muscle subjected to stretch in different paces. Three male Sprouge Dawley rats were used as one for control group, others for 0.50 mm, 0.75 mm distraction per a day. The distractors were placed in right tibial bones. After the replacement of distractors one rat was set for 0.50 mm distraction through one week and the other one for 0.75 mm distraction under the same conditions. At the end of one week, rats were sacrificed. The control rat was sacrificed without being distracted after five days of replacing the distractor. We ended up with differing glycogen levels, mitochondrion gatherings and dilations of T tubules in the muscle tissue specimens of distracted rats in different velocities. Further studies are needed for statistical analysis and clinical applications.