ABSTRACT
Tissue Injury On application of the cryogen, the initial event is extracellular ice formation. This commences at 10 to 158C. The transformation of water into ice leads to loss of water from the extracellular compartment. This concentrates the extra cellular solutes and sets up an osmotic gradient across the cellular membranes. The movement of water across membranes is exacerbated by mechanical compression from extracellular ice crystals that damages the cell membrane. The movement of water out of the cell leads to an intracellular concentration of solutes. This damage is mostly reversible.
