What type of injury is caused by heavy pressure to tissues resulting in muscle cell damage?

A crush injury is characterized by heavy pressure applied to bodily tissues, which leads to significant damage to the muscle cells as well as other components of the affected tissues. When an object exerts excessive force or weight on a part of the body, it can impair blood flow, lead to swelling, and cause necrosis (tissue death) if the pressure isn't relieved. This type of injury can also result in systemic complications due to the release of myoglobin and other cellular debris into the bloodstream, which can ultimately affect kidney function among other systems.

In this context, a contusion refers to a bruise that occurs due to direct trauma, leading to bleeding under the skin but does not typically involve the same extent of tissue destruction as a crush injury. A laceration is a tear or cut in the skin or tissue, which involves a disruption of the structure but does not imply the heavy pressure element that characterizes a crush injury. An avulsion involves the tearing away of a body part or a significant portion of tissue, but again, this injury is more acute and generally does not reflect the prolonged pressure damage seen in crush injuries. Thus, the defining nature of a crush injury is its association with severe pressure that leads to considerable muscle cell damage.