What is a thigh bruise (quadriceps contusion) and strain?
A thigh bruise is a bruise (contusion) to the large group of
muscles in the front of the thigh that help straighten the
leg. These muscles are called the quadriceps. A thigh
bruise is also called a charley horse. A strain is a
partial tear of a muscle and is often called a pulled
muscle.
How does it occur?
A thigh bruise is caused by a direct blow to the muscles of
the thigh. A strain may be caused by overuse or by a abrupt
movement of the thigh in activities such as sprinting or
jumping.
What are the symptoms?
You have pain in the middle of your thigh and have
difficulty walking or running. You may have difficulty
bending or straightening your leg or lifting your knee. An
area of your thigh may be swollen and discolored.
A thigh bruise or strain usually heals without
complications. However, a large bruise may bleed a lot into
the quadriceps muscle. This bleeding is called a hematoma.
The hematoma may become calcified and form a hard lump in
the quadriceps muscle. This lump is called osteomyositis
ossificans and may cause stiffness or a bump in the muscle
that may be very long lasting.
How is it diagnosed?
Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and
examine your thigh. If your provider suspects an area of
calcification, an x-ray may be ordered.
How is it treated?
Right after your injury your health care provider may wrap
your leg in a bent-knee position and place ice over your
thigh. This will put a maximum stretch on the thigh
muscles, keeping them from becoming too tight or stiff
during healing.
Other treatment may include:
- putting ice packs on your thigh for 20 to 30 minutes
every 3 to 4 hours for 2 or 3 days or until the pain goes
away
- lying down and elevating your thigh by putting a pillow
under it
- taking an anti-inflammatory medicine prescribed by your
health care provider
- wearing an elastic thigh wrap when you return to sports
- having prescribed physical therapy, which would include
rehabilitation exercises and deep tissue treatments such
as ultrasound or electrical stimulation.
While you are recovering from your injury you will need to
change your sport or activity to one that does not make your
condition worse. For example, you may need to swim instead
of run.
When can I return to my normal activities?
Everyone recovers from an injury at a different rate.
Return to your activities will be determined by how soon
your thigh recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has
been since your injury has occurred. In general, the longer
you have symptoms before you start treatment, the longer it
will take to get better. The goal of rehabilitation is to
return you to your normal activities as soon as is safely
possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your
injury.
You may safely return to your activities when, starting from
the top of the list and progressing to the end, each of the
following is true:
- You have full range of motion in the injured leg compared
to the uninjured leg.
- You have full strength of the injured leg compared to the
uninjured leg.
- You can walk straight ahead without pain or limping.
How can I prevent a thigh bruise or strain?
A thigh bruise usually occurs from a direct blow to the
thigh, which may not be preventable. However, in contact
sports such as football be sure to wear the proper
protective equipment. Strains are best prevented by warming
up and stretching properly before your activity.
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new health information becomes available. The
information is intended to inform and educate and is not a
replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or
treatment by a healthcare professional.
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