K.

Vijaya krishna, MPT,CMP

 Soft tissues are a variety of tissues that support,
connect, or surround other structures in the human
body, and that are not rigid like bone
 What is a Soft Tissue Injury?
 A soft tissue injury is the damage that can occur at a
localized area of soft tissue as the result of some sort of
physical trauma or repetitive abuse
 1.Acute- sudden injuries
 2.Overuse- repetitive stress
SPRAIN
 Injuries to ligaments
 Grades –
 First degree- tear of minimum no of fibres of ligament
 Second degree- partial rupture of more fibres with no
instability
 Third degree- complete disruption of ligament
resulting in joint instability.
 - severe injury
CONTUSION
 Blunt injury
 Results in hematoma d/t tear of scattered muscle
fibres and small blood vessels
 Ice application
 Anti inflammatory drugs
 Early mobilization prevents scarring and contracture
and helps in restoration.
RUPTURE

 Violent contraction of muscle to stop it from

overstretching in various degrees of tear in muscle
 Common areas- musculo-tendinous junction
 Common site - Biceps brachii
- Supraspinatus
- Quadriceps
- Gastrocnemius
 STRAIN

 Grade I (mild) strains affect only a limited number of

fibers in the muscle.
 There is no decrease in strength
 there is full active and passive range of motion.
 Pain and tenderness are often delayed to the next day.
Grade II (moderate) strains have nearly half of muscle
fibers torn.
 Acute and significant pain is accompanied by swelling and
a minor decrease in muscle strength.
 Grade III (severe) strains represent complete rupture
of the muscle. This means either the tendon is
separated from the muscle belly or the muscle belly is
actually torn in 2 parts.
 Severe swelling and pain and a complete loss of
function are characteristic for this type of strain.
Treatment

 RICE stands for:

 Rest: Stop any exercise or physical activities and avoid
putting any weight on the affected limb.
 Ice: Apply ice to the injury for up to 20 minutes every 2
to 3 hours.
 Compression: To help reduce swelling, a person can
wrap the affected area with a bandage or trainer's tape.
Loosen the wrap if the area gets numb or if the pain
increases.
 Elevation: Keep the injured area raised above chest
level if possible
STAGES OF HEALING
 1. Inflammatory stage
 2. Repair (proliferation) stage
 3. Remodeling (maturation) stage
The Inflammatory Stage

 Here body is responding rapidly to the onset of a soft tissue

injury
 Warmth, redness, pain and swelling.
 This limitation is a protective mechanism, as it will help
reduce the chance of further injury to the site.
 Brief, lasting up to about five days
 This phase of healing ends with the
 Clotting of blood vessels,
 The mechanical protection against the entry of foreign
bodies ,
 Subsiding of the inflammatory response
The Repair Stage

 purpose is to remove the dead tissue and debris from

the site of the injury, and to replace it with new tissue.
 when the new tissue is formed, the structure of it is
much less organized. This is largely because the new
fibres are being deposited in random directions,
resulting in a less functional tissue. This is referred to
as scar tissue.
 phase begins shortly after the initial injury and can last
several weeks
 this scar tissue is still not as functional as the healthy
tissue that existed prior to the injury, and so you
should not expect to regain all your strength and
mobility.
The Remodeling Stage

 purpose of this phase is to remodel the scar tissue over

time into a more healthy, functional tissue
 this stage should last anywhere between about one to
eighteen months.
 The goal at the end of this phase have a healthy,
functional soft tissue at the site of the once-injured
soft tissue.