Muscle Injuries

Skeletal muscle injuries represent great part of all traumas in sports medicine. They should be treated with necessary precaution since a failed treatment can postpone an athlete’s return to the field with weeks or even months and cause recidivism.

Types of skeletal muscle injuries

Literature study does not reveal great consensus when it comes to classifying muscle injuries, despite their clinical importance. However, the most differentiating factor is the trauma mechanism.  Muscle injuries can therefore be broadly classified as either traumatic (acute) or overuse (chronic) injuries. 

Acute injuries are usually the result of a single traumatic event and cause a macro-trauma to the muscle. There is an obvious link between the cause and noticeable symptoms. They mostly occur in contact sports such as rugby, soccer and basketball because of their dynamic and high collision nature.

Overuse, chronic or exercise-induced injuries are subtler and usually occur over a longer period of time. They result from repetitive micro-trauma to the muscle. Diagnosing is more challenging since there is a less obvious link between the cause of the injury and the symptoms. 

Muscle strains

A strain to the muscle or muscle tendon is the equivalent of a strain to ligaments. It is a contraction-induced injury in which muscle fibers tear due to extensive mechanical stress. This mostly occurs as result of a powerful eccentric contraction or overstretching of the muscle. Therefore, it is typical for non contact sports with dynamic character such as sprinting, jumping… .

Strains are categorized into 3 grades of severity:

Grade I (mild) strains affect only a limited number of fibers in the muscle. There is no decrease in strength and there is full active and passive range of motion. Pain and tenderness are often delayed to the next day.
Grade II (moderate) strains have nearly half of muscle fibers torn. Acute and significant pain is accompanied by swelling and a minor decrease in muscle strength.
Grade III (severe) strains represent complete rupture of the muscle. This means either the tendon is separated from the muscle belly or the muscle belly is actually torn in 2 parts. Severe swelling and pain and a complete loss of function are characteristic for this type of strain.

Related articles:

Hamstring Strain
Quadriceps Muscle Strain
Calf Strain
Groin strain  

Muscle contusion (bruise)

Related articles:

Quadriceps muscle contusion