A comprehensive model of blood flow restriction in the postsurgical rat

Abstract

The mechanisms underlying blood flow restriction with low-load exercise (BFR-exercise)-mediated muscle hypertrophy are not well understood. Lack of standardized rodent models of BFR-exercise likely contributes to this gap. We demonstrate in male rats a comprehensive, clinically relevant protocol that generates a muscle loss state via bilateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, achieves targeted, external blood flow occlusion, and performs weighted hind-limb isolating knee extension exercise with BFR. These methods can be applied to mechanistic and physiologic studies of BFR-exercise.