Quadriceps femoris muscle
The quadriceps femoris is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the great extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large fleshy mass which covers the front and sides of the femur. The name derives from Latin four-headed muscle of the femur.
Myositis
Inflammation of the muscles that are used to move the body.
What are the symptoms of a torn quad muscle?
Symptoms of a quadriceps tear or strain may include:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Trouble moving the affected leg or walking
- Bruising
- Cramping
How to recover quickly from a quadriceps strain?
- Warm up prior to exercise. Increase your normal warm up time by at least 10 minutes in order to increase blood flow to the area. ...
- Cool down. After performing your exercise or activity, take the extra time to cool down and stretch. ...
- Initially avoid potential high risk activities. ...
- Regain full strength and motion before returning to sport. ...
What causes quad muscle pain?
Which causes are common in Quadriceps muscle tightness ?
- While increased activity on your feet may lead to tight quads
- overuse the muscle
- Any hip or knee pathology
- After Injury or Trauma
- Sedentary Lifestyle eg. office workers
What is the treatment for a torn quad muscle?
What is the treatment for a quadriceps injury?
- Crutches or other gait-assist devices might be needed depending upon the level of pain and whether or not the individual can weight-bear on the injured leg.
- After a short period of rest, most people can start returning to normal function as pain allows. ...
- Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen ( Motrin and Advil) may be helpful. ...
What happens when you have a contusion in your quadriceps?
The contusion is the result of an external force that can damage the muscle but can’t eliminate its function completely. Quadriceps contusions can lead to two serious complications: Compartment Syndrome and myositis ossificans.
How long does it take for a quadriceps contusion to heal?
Quadriceps contusions are graded mild, moderate or severe between 12 and 24 hours. A mild contusion has more than 90 degrees of knee flexion; moderate between 45 and 90 degrees of knee flexion and severe less than 45 grades of knee flexion. Ability to stretch the muscle may be reduced slightly.
What is the most common injury in the thigh?
A contusion is the most common acute thigh injury in contact sport such as football, rugby and basketball. Contusions are caused by external forces like a direct blow from an opponent's knee. Thus, muscle contusions are classified as acute direct muscle injuries .The most frequently injured muscles are the exposed rectus femoris and the intermediate vastus, lying next to the bone, with limited space for movement when exposed to a direct blunt blow. Localized bleeding may increase tissue pressure and tissue damage. The bleeding can be intramuscular or intermuscular. The intramuscular hematoma is more painful and restrictive of range of motion than the intermuscular hematoma.
How to diagnose a contusion?
The best techniques for measuring the soft tissue damage and for complications caused by the initial injury are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diagnostic ultrasound. Both have been highly sensitive to oedema and haemorrhage. These methods are expensive but can speed up the healing process by detecting the severity quick. Ultrasound can be used to identify a localized hematoma formation caused from a contusion and provide real-time imaging for needle aspiration. If there is concern for bony involvement, radiographs will evaluate for bony injury. Subsequently, radiographs are useful in identifying heterotopic bone formation, known as myositis ossificans (MO), which is a delayed complication of severe muscle contusions.
How to tell if a contusion is hyperechoic?
On ultrasound, a contusion is seen as an ill-defined area of hyperechogenicity within the muscle that crosses fascial boundaries . In the hyperacute situation, the injured muscle initially appears swollen and may be isoechoic with adjacent unaffected muscle.In the first 24–48 h, the haematoma will appear as an irregularly outlined muscle laceration separated by hypoechoic fluid with marked increased reflectivity in the surrounding muscle . During this period, the haematoma may solidify and become hyperechoic to the surrounding muscle. After 48–72 h, the haematoma develops into a clearly defined hypoechoic fluid collection with an echogenic margin. This echogenic margin gradually enlarges and “fills in” the haematoma in a centripetal fashion. If the haematoma is causing intense pain and/or exerts local mass effect on adjacent neurovascular structures, or is placing the limb at risk of compartment syndrome, then evacuation of the clot may be necessary. This is usually performed under ultrasound guidance 10–14 days after the initial injury ,
What sports cause quadriceps contusions?
Quadriceps contusions are mainly common by contact sports like rugby, football, basket, kick boxing . A systematic review resulted in a frequency from 10% to 40% of all football injuries were categorized as contusion, strains or sprains. The injury is caused by a sudden force to the quadriceps muscle causing significant muscle damage.
What causes quadriceps to hurt?
The injury is caused by a sudden force to the quadriceps muscle causing significant muscle damage. This force is usual due to another player (in sports), a sport attribute or a misplaced fall on a severe object.
Why is it so hard to prevent quadriceps contusion?
It can be hard to prevent a quadriceps contusion because they happen suddenly and often without warning. But you can make one less likely by following safety guidelines while playing sports:
What Is a Quadriceps Contusion?
A quadriceps contusion is an injury to the quadriceps. This group of four muscles is at the front of the thigh. They help you straighten your knee and flex (bend) your hip. They're important for many movements, including walking and running.
What Are the Signs & Symptoms of a Quadriceps Contusion?
All quadriceps contusions cause thigh pain. Other signs and symptoms depend on how severe the contusion is, but can include:
How Are Quadriceps Contusions Diagnosed?
Doctors diagnose a quadriceps contusion by asking about the injury and the person's symptoms, and doing an exam.
What happens when you get hit in the thigh?
A quadriceps contusion happens when someone gets hit very hard in the thigh. The force makes the muscle tear and bleed. It also can tear the sheath that covers the quadriceps muscles. Most quadriceps contusions happen from playing sports. For example, it can happen:
How to help quadriceps with ice?
Put a towel between the ice and the skin to protect it from the cold. Use an elastic wrap to help support the quadriceps and keep swelling down. Take medicine for pain, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, or store brand) or acetaminophen (Tylenol or store brand).
What does it mean when someone hits their thigh?
when someone gets hit in the thigh with a ball, helmet, or another player during football or lacrosse. in sports like skateboarding, skiing, and snowboarding, when someone falls and hits their thigh on a tree or other hard object.
How does one suffer a torn quad?
This can happen during high-energy accidents such as motor vehicle crashes and during sporting activities or during low energy injuries such as falls from a standing position.
How old is too old to rupture a quad?
Torn Quad – Quadriceps Tendon Rupture. A torn quad or quadriceps tendon rupture occurs relatively infrequently and usually occur in athletes older than 40 years old. Injuries to the torn quad can be very disabling. They can cause significant loss of time from sport and work. If not treated appropriately, these injuries can have many negative ...
What are some risk factors for a quadriceps tendon rupture?
Really there are very few risk factors. Most quadriceps tendon ruptures are the result of either direct or indirect trauma. There are some medical problems that can increase a person’s chance of having a quadriceps tendon rupture including renal (kidney) disease, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic steroid use and diabetes mellitus. However, even in patients with these disorders, the incidence of quadriceps tendon ruptures is still very low.
What imaging studies are needed for a quadriceps tendon rupture?
This will help to rule out a fracture as the cause of the problem. If these are negative, then an MRI scan can be obtained to evaluate the integrity of the quadriceps tendon.
What are the different types of quadriceps tendon ruptures and how are they treated?
Quadriceps tendon ruptures come in two main types: partial and complete tears. Distinguishing between the two is very important, as the treatment is vastly different.
What is the long-term prognosis for a quadriceps tendon rupture?
They will be able to return to work and sport after the appropriate rehabilitation. It is important to be very diligent with the appropriate prescribed physical therapy to ensure a good outcome. Re-tear of the tendon after surgical repair is rare unless something unexpected happens (ex: a fall during the early post-operative phase). The most common complication is loss of motion in the knee after surgical repair.
What is the quadriceps tendon?
The quadriceps tendon is the strong tendon that inserts on the top of the patella (knee cap). The quadriceps tendon is a confluence (coming together) of the four muscles that make up the muscles that extend the knee. These four muscles are: vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis and rectus femoris.
How bad is my thigh contusion?
Like muscle strains, contusions are grade 1, 2 or 3 depending on how bad they are.
How long can you walk with a grade 3 contusion?
Contracting the muscle may produce a visible bulge or gap in your thigh. Expect to be out of competition for 3 to 12 weeks.
What does it mean when you have bruising after a muscle injury?
If after two to three days the swelling has not gone, then it is probably an intramuscular injury. This means any bleeding contained within the muscle. If the bleeding has spread and caused bruising away from the site of the injury then it is probably an intermuscular injury. You will have greater movement and muscle function if you injury is intermuscular.
How long does it take for intramuscular hematoma to heal?
The result is considerable loss of function and pain, which can take days or weeks to recover. You are not likely to see any bruising come out with this type – especially in the early stages.
What is a dead leg?
A thigh contusion is also known as a dead leg or charley horse and is caused by direct trauma to the muscle. Here we explain the treatment of mild, moderate and severe contusions.
Why is it important to apply cold compression to a contusion?
Elevating the limb allows swelling and tissue fluids to drain away from the area. It is very important to apply cold and compression to a contusion. Applying heat or deep massage in the acute stage may cause further injury or lead to myositis ossificans which is a bony growth within the muscle.
How to stop a contusion from bleeding?
Apply a cold therapy and compression wrap immediately. Ice can be applied every two hours for 10 minutes for the first 72 hours for more severe contusions. This will help stop any internal bleeding and reduce pain and swelling.
Definition/Description
Clinical Relevant Anatomy
- The Quadriceps femoris is a hip flexor and a knee extensor. It’s located in the anterior compartment of the thigh. This muscle is composed of 4 subcomponents: 1. Rectus femoris 2. Vastus medialis 3. Vastus lateralis 4. Vastus intermedius
Epidemiology/Etiology
- Quadriceps contusions are mainly common by contact sports like rugby, football, basket, kick boxing . A systematic review resulted in a frequency from 10% to 40% of all football injuries were categorized as contusion, strains or sprains.The injury is caused by a sudden force to the quadriceps muscle causing significant muscle damage. This force is ...
Risk Factors
- Contact sports and sports that require quick starts, i.e. running races and other track events.
- Warm up and cool down habits.
- Off season/preseason/season training habits.
- Poor muscle conditioning.
Clinical Presentation
- A massive blunt force mostly to the anterior or lateral thigh causes rupture to the muscle fibers. In the beginning there are negligible symptoms, but after 24 hours this will lead to hematoma formation within the muscle causing: pain, swelling, stifness and impairment of functional quadriceps excursion.
Pathophysiology
- The injury consists of a well-defined sequence of events involving microscopic rupture and damage to muscle cells, macroscopic defects in muscle bellies, infiltrative bleeding, and inflammation. The repair of the tissue can be thought of as a race between remodeling and scar formation. Several physiological responses may occur after a deep thigh contusion including: • …
Classification
- Next to muscle strains is traumatic muscle contusions the most frequent type of quadriceps injury in sports. A direct external forceful blow to the quadriceps causing significant muscle damage is the usual mechanism of this injury. In comparison to strains, contusions will cause rupture to the muscle fibers at or directly adjacent to the area of impact. This typically leads to h…
Diagnostic Procedures
- The diagnosis is made by questioning an accurate history from the patient and completing a physical examination.
Outcome Measures
- The ‘Lower Extremity Functional Scale’ is used to evaluate the functionality for a wide range of lower limb conditions to know whether the person is having any difficulty with certain activities.
Imaging
- The best techniques for measuring the soft tissue damage and for complications caused by the initial injury are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diagnostic ultrasound. Both have been highly sensitive to oedema and haemorrhage. These methods are expensive but can speed up the healing process by detecting the severity quick. Ultrasound can be used to identify a localized h…