Anatomical correlation between the venter of the soleus muscle and rat leg lenght

RESUMO

An equipment was previously developed in our laboratory to produce a non-invasive contusion in the soleus muscle of the rat. In order to produce the trauma it is also necessary to non-invasively identify the calfof the soleus muscle. The aim of the present study was to identify the calf of the soleus muscle using a correlation between the lenght of the rat leg and the middle region of the muscle. Nine rats were anaesthetised and the lenghts of the animals'legs were then measured with a pachymeter. As an anatomical reference we used the plantar surface of the calcaneus, immediately cranial to its tuberosity, and the cranial face of the distal third of the femoral diaphysis, next to the femoral patellar face, with the articulation of the knee and ankle maintained at 90(degree) of flexion. After dissection and exposure of the soleus muscle, the region where the diameter of the muscular venter was maximal was identified and the distance from this point to the plantar surface of the calcaneus was then measured. Considering this correlation, it was observed that the venter of the rat Soleus muscle is located at a distance from the plantar surface of the calcaneus equal to 44ñ1(per cent) of the rat leg length. This percentage correlation was identified in rats with different body weights and occurred in all of the animals. Subsequent tests, for the induction of a non-invasive trauma, using this correlation, confirmed the efficacy of this methodology for locating the belly of the soleus in a non-invasive way. Three days after trauma, acute signs of injury such as myonecrosis, celular infiltration and muscle fiber basophilia were observed in the ventral face of the soleus muscle.