Torn muscle fiber in the thigh
Torn muscle fibers can in principle occur in any muscle, but by far the most common injuries are those of the thigh or torn calf muscle fibers. A torn muscle fiber often occurs in the thigh during sports activities. Sports that are particularly dangerous in this context are those in which the muscle can be directly affected by violence (such as soccer, handball or squash), but also those that involve sudden acceleration and braking movements, such as tennis or sprinting.
Sometimes it happens that a person affected can even feel the fibers tearing. The sudden onset of thigh pain is characteristic. More rarely, however, it also happens that pain only develops within the next few hours after the injury.
Symptoms of a torn muscle fiber of the thigh
As with all muscle fiber ruptures, the symptoms are also characteristic of the thigh. Pain is the main symptom. It occurs suddenly and surprises the affected person in a movement.
Although its intensity may vary, most patients report it as extremely strong and stabbing. As a rule, the movement performed must be stopped and the thigh immobilized. Classically, the pain ebbs when the patient is relieved and reoccurs when the thigh is tensed.
In the case of severe torn muscle fibers in the thigh, which may already have to be defined as a torn muscle bundle, functional losses may occur. Due to the severe injury to the tissue, the tissue can no longer apply the required force and the leg may only be able to move with restrictions. In addition to the pain and the loss of function, sensory disturbances may also occur.
If this is the case, there is the possibility of nerve involvement, which significantly aggravates the extent of the injury. An exact diagnosis helps to identify the damage, classify the injury and treat it correctly. The signs of a torn muscle fibre in the thigh are a sudden onset of pain in the leg, which feels sharp and is felt quite intensely.
Continuation of the movement seems impossible. Relief can be achieved by immobilization. The pain is followed by bruising or swelling of the thigh.
Impressive bumps or dents may also form. The latter is particularly noticeable. It is caused by the gap left by the torn muscle fibers and is a sign of a more severe muscle fiber rupture, which suggests a longer healing phase from the beginning.
In a few cases, the pain on the thigh cannot be localized exactly, as it radiates into the entire lower leg. A short time after the accident has occurred, a dent in the muscle of the thigh can often be seen and sometimes even felt during palpation. However, if a little more time has passed, this dent is usually lost again and a swelling (haematoma) develops, which can be very massive.
In addition, bruising usually occurs, but its degree of severity is very variable. A torn muscle fibre in the thigh is particularly common in winter, when the muscles do not warm up properly despite warm-up training, but any incorrect movement that exerts too much tension on the muscle fibres can cause a torn muscle fibre in the thigh. This is always associated with severe pain, because in addition to the muscle, nerves are also damaged, which then transmit the information to our brain.
In addition to the pain in the thigh, the rupture of the muscle fiber usually causes bleeding and loss of sensitivity, i.e. the patient can no longer feel the affected areas properly and cannot move them properly. Pain, sensory disturbances and inability to move are reversible, i.e. they do not remain permanent. Against the pain and also against the following swelling it helps to cool the affected area, painkillers are usually not necessary. However, it is also possible that only a few muscle fibers tear. In this case the patient has no pain, because the loss of muscle fibers is only small and can be compensated well by the body.However, if thigh pain occurs due to a rupture of a muscle fibre, it is important to keep the thigh still for at least 3 weeks so that the muscles can grow together again and the pain disappears.