Published Online: Dec 10, 2015
Page range: 15 - 19
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jbcr-2015-0119
© 2015
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.
The aim of the study was to present our own experimental model of blunt chest trauma in small laboratory animals. Fifteen Wistar albino rats (body weight 290.0-320.0 g) were used in the experiment. An originally designed platform was used to inflict blunt thoracic trauma in the rats. Gross examination and histological evaluation of the heart and lung were performed. It was established that blunt chest trauma caused three thoracic injuries: bilateral lung contusion, myocardial contusion and hemopericardium. These thoracic injuries occurred as a result from direct compression of the chest wall towards the lung and the heart. The severity of lung parenchymal and myocardial pathological findings depended on the energy of blunt chest trauma. The study presents a reproducible small-animal experimental model of blunt chest trauma. The model gives opportunities for further studying different aspects of lung and myocardial contusion.