Brief overview
- Causes and risk factors: Extreme strain, e.g. through jerky movements, abrupt stops; often in sports such as tennis or soccer. Risk factors include lack of fitness, incorrect shoes, muscular imbalances, infections.
- Symptoms: Sudden, stabbing pain, possibly effusion of blood, loss of strength in the affected muscle, restricted mobility
- Course of the disease and prognosis: A torn muscle fiber usually heals without consequences. It takes several weeks.
- Treatment: Rest, cooling, pressure bandage and elevation of the injured body part as acute measures, painkillers and physiotherapy if necessary, surgery in severe cases
- Examination and diagnosis: Patient interview (medical history), physical examination, possibly ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Prevention: warm-up and stretching exercises before sport, compensation of muscular imbalances through muscle training
What is a torn muscle fiber?
A muscle fiber tear is an injury to the muscle fibers. These are the smallest structural units of the muscle. Muscle fibers are long, cylindrical cells with many cell nuclei. They are up to 30 centimetres long and between ten and 100 micrometres thick, depending on the muscle and the strain.
Sudden overloading of the muscle causes the muscle fibers to tear. Overloading means that a force is exerted on the muscle that is greater than the strength of the muscle itself. The muscle cannot withstand this excessive force – tissue tears.
Typically, a torn muscle fiber occurs during several long sprints, sudden stops, rapid changes of direction, when the muscles are tired or untrained or under extreme strain. Depending on the extent of the resulting muscle damage, it is referred to as:
- Muscle fiber tear: One or (usually) several fibers of a muscle tear. This often results in bleeding (blood effusion) into the tissue. A muscle fiber tear particularly often affects the thigh muscle (quadriceps femoris muscle) and calf muscle (gastrocnemius muscle).
- Muscle bundle tear: In this form of muscle damage, entire fiber bundles are injured.
- Muscle tear: The most serious consequence of muscle overload. In a muscle tear, the entire muscle is completely severed. It is then no longer functional.
If the force applied only slightly overloads the muscle, it is only stretched but not torn. The result is a muscle strain (which is also painful).
A direct violent impact (such as a kick to the calf) also sometimes causes a torn muscle fiber. However, it usually occurs without external trauma.
Risk factors for torn muscle fibers & co.
Various factors contribute to a torn muscle fiber, torn muscle bundle, torn muscle or a simple pulled muscle. These include, for example
- Tired or insufficiently warmed up or stretched muscles
- Impaired coordination of movement
- Muscular imbalance in the extremities or spine
- Inadequate training condition/lack of fitness
- Previous injuries that have not healed
- Unfamiliar ground conditions
- Cold weather
- Incorrect shoes
- Lack of fluids, vitamins, minerals and trace elements
- Infections (such as Pfeiffer’s glandular fever)
- Taking preparations for rapid muscle building (anabolic steroids)
How does a torn muscle fiber manifest itself in the different limbs?
A torn muscle fiber is accompanied by a sudden, knife-like pain. The affected muscle is restricted in its function and can no longer be loaded to its maximum. The patient must stop sporting activity immediately. The natural movement sequence is disrupted.
Those affected usually adopt a relieving posture. If they try to tense the injured muscle against resistance, pain occurs. There is also pressure and stretching pain.
- On the calf: pain when walking or when moving the foot up and down
- On the front or back of the thigh: pain when bending or extending the knee or hip joint
- On the upper arm or in the shoulder: pain when lifting the arm
Immediately after the injury, a visible and palpable dent sometimes forms in the affected area. This is particularly the case if not only muscle fibers but the entire muscle is torn (muscle tear). However, as the tissue usually swells, the dent can soon no longer be felt.
Sometimes a visible effusion of blood (hematoma) forms at the site of the torn muscle fiber.
The more severe the muscle injury is, the more pronounced the symptoms described are – i.e. if more than one fiber, a fiber bundle or even the entire muscle is torn.
How long does a torn muscle fiber last?
There are generally no complications with a torn muscle fiber. The injury usually heals without any consequences. However, a torn muscle fiber takes time to heal: depending on the severity of the injury, it is advisable not to do any sport for two to six weeks.
A break of four to eight weeks is recommended for a torn muscle. If you strain the muscle before the muscle fibre tear (muscle bundle tear, muscle tear) has healed, a new injury can easily occur (re-traumatization).
In the event of a torn muscle fiber or more serious muscle damage (muscle bundle tear, muscle tear), first aid measures according to the PECH scheme are recommended as quickly as possible:
- P for break: stop sporting activity, immobilize the injured extremity.
- E for ice: Cool the injured area for ten to 20 minutes with an ice pack or cold compress.
- C for compression: Apply a compression bandage.
- H for elevation: Torn muscle fibers often affect the upper arm, thigh or calf. The injured limb should be elevated so that less blood flows into the injured tissue.
These measures are aimed at stopping bleeding into the tissue, reducing pain and swelling and preventing further damage. It is important not to heat or massage the tissue. Both lead to increased bleeding.
Torn muscle fibers: treatment by a doctor
The doctor may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or diclofenac for a torn muscle fiber. Dosed physical therapy (lymphatic drainage, cold therapy, etc.) promotes the regeneration of the injured muscle.
Make sure that the exercises used to treat a torn muscle fiber do not cause any pain!
If there is a large effusion of blood in the tissue, a puncture may be necessary. The doctor sticks a hollow needle into the bruise. The blood then either drains off by itself or the doctor sucks it out (drainage).
In the case of a severe muscle fiber tear, a muscle bundle tear or a complete muscle tear, surgery is sometimes necessary. The torn muscle areas are sutured. The surgeon uses suture material that dissolves by itself over time and is absorbed by the body.
What examinations are required for a torn muscle fiber?
If a torn muscle fiber is suspected, it is advisable to see your family doctor or a sports physician. They will first ask about the symptoms and the mechanism of the injury (medical history = anamnesis). Possible questions include:
- When did the injury happen?
- How long ago did it happen?
- Where exactly do the symptoms occur?
This is followed by a physical examination. The doctor examines the injured area for any muscle dents or swelling. He checks whether stretching and straining the muscle causes pain and whether the muscle has lost strength.
If there is a suspicion that a bone has also been injured, this can be checked by means of an X-ray examination.
How can a torn muscle fiber be prevented?
The risk of a muscle injury due to overloading can be reduced by warming up before sporting activity and doing regular exercises for a balanced statics/musculature. If necessary, muscles at risk can be supported with a bandage or tape – this may prevent a torn muscle fiber.
