Which term describes an injury caused by microscopic tissue damage?

• A. Macrotrauma
• B. Contusion
• C. Strain
• D. Microtrauma

Answer: (D)

Injuries that come from microscopic tissue damage accumulate over time from repetitive stress rather than from a single event. That pattern is described by microtrauma. It explains how small, ongoing damage can build up and lead to overuse problems like tendinopathies or stress reactions. By contrast, macrotrauma refers to a single, large incident that causes obvious tissue disruption. A contusion is a bruise from a direct impact, and a strain is a stretch or tear of muscle-tendon from an overload, typically tied to a sudden force. So the term that best fits injury caused by microscopic tissue damage is microtrauma.