Abstract:Objective To explore the best time and way of ice compress to deal with the acute phase of closed soft tissue injury. Methods Forty eight healthy rabbits were randomly assigned to continuous ice compress group, discontinuous ice compress group and control group. With the self controlled method, injured limb swelling values, skin color of injured sites, bleeding, subcutaneous ecchymosis changes and pathological changes were observed of each group at 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h after damaged. Results Injured limb swelling values showed that differences among the continuous ice compress group, the discontinuous ice compress group and the control group were statistically significant (P = 0.000). Differences of skin color of injured sites between groups at 48 h as well as between different time points of the continuous ice compress group were statistically significant. There was no obvious difference of bleeding among the groups.: There were differences of subcutaneous ecchymosis changes between continuous ice compress group and control group at different time points. Compared with control group, the ice compress group had significant difference of pathological changes in 48 h and 72 h, but had no significant difference in the other time points. Conclusions Given ice treatment for early acute closed soft tissue injury within 48h is ideal. Continuous ice treatment effect is better than intermittent ice.