Diagnosis of a torn muscle fiber in the thigh
At the beginning of the diagnosis, even if a muscle fiber rupture in the thigh is suspected, the patient is questioned in detail. The patient should concentrate on the following questions: Furthermore, the thigh should be looked at closely. Bruises in particular provide information about possible injuries to the tissue.
Swelling or redness, as well as localized bumps or dents are also indications of a torn muscle fiber. Since the muscle is soft tissue, an ultrasound examination can be performed as a diagnostic measure that is harmless to the patient. In addition, an image can also be produced by means of an MRI if no defect can be detected by ultrasound, but the symptoms support the diagnosis.
- What hurts and how does the pain feel?
- When did the pain occur?
- Could there be a connection with physical activity?
- If a connection exists, how was the leg moved?
Torn muscle fiber in the front thigh
The thigh contains various muscle groups, including the 4 muscles of the quadriceps muscle. These four muscles are located at the front of the thigh and serve to extend the knee when tensed (contraction), which is why they are also called extensors. The four muscles are called the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, intermedius and lateralis.
However, all four muscles are located at the front above the knee and form the so-called patella tendon. The quadriceps muscle thus runs across the entire front of the thigh and can tear in this area, especially during sports activities, and thus lead to a torn muscle fiber. Especially movements in which the knee is stretched jerkily, such as when playing soccer or in various martial arts, when the leg has to kick against an object when stretched, can easily lead to torn muscle fibers in the front of the thigh, because when the knee is stretched, the muscle fibers are tensed.
If the tension (contraction) is too jerky, this can lead to a torn muscle fiber in the front of the thigh. While small muscle fiber tears, especially in the thigh, often go unnoticed due to the broad muscle mass, larger muscle fiber tears can cause enormous pain and are often accompanied by bleeding (hematomas) in the area of the muscle fiber tear. Thus, if a torn muscle fiber occurs in the front thigh, this is where the pain is most severe and gets worse under stress.
This mainly occurs when stretching the knee, as the muscles of the front thigh are strained (for example when walking or climbing stairs). In addition, discoloration can occur on the front lower leg, which is usually more blurred in contrast to a simple bruise and also contains red dots, indicating fresh bleeding, which can easily be caused by a torn muscle fiber. Depending on the severity of the ruptured muscle fiber, it is quite possible that the patient is no longer able to move the leg adequately.
If a severe rupture of the muscle fiber in the front thigh occurs, it is quite possible that the patient will have difficulty stretching the knee and walking normally for a long time. It is always important to have a torn muscle fiber detected by ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to avoid possible complications. In most cases, however, it is sufficient for the physician to talk to the patient and the clinical picture he sees (bleeding thigh, reduced strength development).
The thigh consists of numerous muscles and the longest bone of the human body, the femur (thigh bone). Seen from behind, the thigh has two important muscle groups: One is the biceps femoris muscle, which has two heads and moves from the ischial tuberosity to the outside of the knee, and the two muscles semitendinosus and semimambranosus, which also move from the ischial tuberosity to the inside of the knee. Both muscle groups support the flexion of the knee by tensing (contraction) of the respective muscles and additionally provide rotation in the knee.A torn muscle fibre in the rear thigh is somewhat less common, but can still occur.
Particularly in sports where the knee is constantly in motion (e.g. tennis, soccer) and is constantly rotated, this can lead to a torn muscle fibre in the back of the thigh. This can manifest itself as sudden and severe pain in the back of the thigh. If only a few muscle fibers are torn, the patient can usually still move the leg quite well, but it is also possible that the patient has difficulty moving the leg adequately.
In addition to the pain, there is also bleeding, which is different from a simple bruise because it is also reddish in color and has rather blurred boundaries. The bleedings are also located on the back of the thigh and may swell under certain circumstances. In most cases, there are no muscle fiber tears in either muscle group of the back thigh.
If the patient has performed too much internal rotation of the knee, there are usually torn muscle fibers in the semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles, since these are responsible for the internal rotation of the knee. On the other hand, if the external rotation is too strong, as can quickly happen in soccer, for example, a torn muscle fiber of the femoral biceps muscle will occur, since this is responsible for the external rotation of the knee. Frequently, the pain and/or bulging can be used to identify quite precisely which muscle fibers in the posterior thigh are torn. If pain is more likely to occur in the area of the inner, posterior thigh, the semimembranous and semitendinosus muscles are affected. If the patient feels pain in the outer, posterior thigh, the biceps femoris muscle is usually affected.
