NLS Scanner with Biophilia Tracker and Diagnosis of Muscle Trauma
Lower limb muscle injuries can be classified into three categories based on the injury mechanism:
1. Overexertion-induced injuries. Strong initiation stress, especially with insufficient warm-up and excessive cold, can lead to rupture. Similarly, excessive exertion can cause muscle overstretching, potentially leading to compartment pain or injury, most typically seen in the adductors and posterior gluteal muscles.
2. Actual trauma caused by external destructive factors—direct or indirect (fall) impacts.
3. Trauma that develops due to sustained overload, «chronic microtrauma».
According to J. Comtet and W. Muller, complete ruptures occur in muscles with isolated functions. In the quadriceps femoris of the thigh, this is the rectus femoris, without any synergists. This type of injury is more common in hockey players after a hockey bat strike. The most frequent site of rectus femoris injury is the tendon transition. Partial ruptures are more common in the biceps femoris and adductors of the thigh. The integrity of the adductor muscles is disrupted not only at the transition from muscle to tendon but also at their attachment to the pubis. In medical literature, this type of injury is termed "ARS-complex" (adductor rectus syndrome). As the term implies, along with the adductor injury, the rectus abdominis is injured at its junction with the symphysis.
Conditional muscle injuries can be classified as microbursts (affected area 3-5 mm) and ruptures larger than 5 mm. Trauma can be longitudinal—along the muscle fibers—or transverse. Longitudinal trauma is more common and easier to diagnose and treat. NLS graphics visualize hematomas and synovial lesions at the site of injury. At transverse bruises and ruptures, NLS images exhibit polymorphism due to atypical traction and muscle ischemia, complicating diagnosis.
The application of an NLS scanner with the Biophilia Tracker allows for high-precision visualization of muscle injuries in sports trauma. The following signs are typical.
1. NLS-ultramicroscopic scanning reveals abnormal structural characteristics (stripes) in the wound area, with moderately hyperchromatic linear structures corresponding to myofibril bundle sheaths (5-6 points on the Fleindler scale).
2. Various sizes and indistinctly outlined areas of deep staining and isochromatic color are present—hematomas. NLS-angiography plays an important role in their diagnosis. NLS-ultramicroangiography reveals the influence of vessel walls on these structures. This marker allows for differentiation between hematomas and tissue processes.
3. Pathological traction in the injured area shows higher colorimetric activity compared to intact muscle tissue (5-6 points on the Fleindler scale).
During comprehensive diagnosis, it is necessary to examine the muscle tension and relaxation status. Measurement of exposed pathological areas is recommended for subsequent dynamic control.
Therefore, most traumas (94.5%) present as muscle bruises less than 20 mm, which are difficult to diagnose using other methods. Furthermore, incorrect medical strategies and inappropriate training modalities in such trauma can lead to further muscle damage, thus limiting physical activity. This fact illustrates the importance of NLS research in the diagnosis of muscle injuries in athletes. Currently, more and more athletes and families are starting to use it, and the Biophilia Tracker is appearing more and more frequently in people's lives.