Rats’ ischiatic nerves smashed with different loads were studied with the aid of light microscopy. Weights of 500 g, 1,000 g, 5,000 g, 10,000 g, and 15,000 g were used for 10 minutes in a portable device, especially developed for this study. Morphological and morphometrical analyses of myelinic fibers showed that the injury produced on neural fibers and on neural tissue was directly proportional to the load applied and that a load of 500 g is enough to produce a severe damage, with an important injury of endoneural structures.
Rat; Ischiatic nerve; Smashing; Mechanical load; Morphometrics
