Incidence of Z band streaming and myofibrillar disruptions in skeletal muscle from healthy young people.

Skeletal muscle tissue was obtained from the vastus lateralis or peroneus brevis muscles of 34 healthy volunteers. Focal and extensive areas of Z band streaming and disruption of myofibrillar architecture without Z band streaming were quantified in Araldite-embedded specimens examined in the phase microscope. Extensive areas of Z band streaming in more than 2.0 percent of fibers was present in only two of the 34 volunteers. Myofibrillar disruptions without Z band streaming was much less common than Z band streaming. The size of extensive areas of Z band streaming or myofibrillar disruptions was quantified by counting the number of adjacent fibrils and contiguous sarcomeres occupied by either type of lesion. These data should be of use in determining if such lesions are present in excessive amounts in suspected pathologic material.