Research
Mixed
Severe muscle injuries heal incompletely with fibrotic tissue formation that impairs function, whereas minor injuries (strains) heal spontaneously without significant fibrosis.
If you have a minor muscle strain, rest and time will likely fix it. However, if you have a severe tear or laceration, it will likely scar and lose function without specific medical intervention. Do not assume all muscle injuries heal the same way.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Whereas relatively minor muscle injuries, such as strains, heal spontaneously, severe muscle injuries form fibrotic tissue that impairs muscle function and lead to muscle contracture and chronic pain.
Why this rating
Based on a comprehensive review of multiple animal and human studies cited in the text.
Source
Muscle injuries and strategies for improving their repair
Thomas Laumonier et al. · Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics · 2016
DOI 10.1186/s40634-016-0051-7
narrative_reviewCited 272×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections show no significant positive effect on muscle injury recovery compared to placebo in randomized clinical trials, despite widespread clinical use.Strong
- Anti-fibrotic therapies, specifically those neutralizing TGF-β1 (e.g., Losartan, Suramin, Decorin), reduce muscle fibrosis and improve healing in severe muscle injuries.Good
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