A quadriceps strain is an injury caused by damage to the quadriceps muscle group at the front of the thigh. A mild (or grade I) strain involves overstretching of the quad muscle/tendon with no tearing. A moderate (or grade II) strain comprises a partial muscle or tendon tear. The strain can also be severe (or grade III), i.e. a complete severing of the muscle or tendon.
A mild quadriceps strain is also commonly known as a pulled quadriceps muscle.
This is one of the three possible types of muscle strain that can constitute a thigh strain injury. The other two are hamstring strains and adductor strains.
Symptoms of a quadriceps strain are usually a sharp pain at the front of the thigh. This is usually followed by continual pain in the same region. In addition, there may be swelling, contusions (bruising) and tenderness in the same area.
Most quadriceps strain injuries are either mild or moderate in severity. These injuries are usually treatable at home using remedies like rest, ice, compression and pain relief medication. However, a severe strain that includes a complete muscle tear will usually require surgery to repair the damage.
The quadriceps muscle fibers are actually composed of 4 sub components:
Of these 4 sub components, the rectus femoris is the only one that crosses both the hip and the knee joints. It therefore plays a role in both hip flexion and knee extension. The other 3 play roles in knee extension only.
As the portion that crosses 2 joints, the rectus femoris is most susceptible to damage due to stretching. It is therefore the portion of the quadriceps that is most often involved in strains of that muscle.
The parts of the rectus femoris most commonly damaged tend to be:
Quadriceps strain injuries tend to most frequently be the result of:
From this, you would expect that quadricep strains are frequently seen in sports that require plenty of sprinting and sudden changes of direction. This would include sports such as soccer, basketball, football and tennis.
However, any sport that also involves sudden sprinting, stopping and directional changes would increase the risk of a quadriceps strain.
These are:
Anyone experiencing these symptoms should consult a doctor for medical advice, especially if the symptoms include those listed under grade II injuries.
To diagnose the nature of the injury, the doctor will likely examine the injured leg, looking in particular for swelling and bruising. He or she will also assess the difficulty the patient has in standing or walking.
The doctor will also palpitate (feel) along the length of the quadriceps. The goal here will be to identify swelling, tenderness or unusual masses within the thigh (as may result from a severed muscle, for example).
The doctor may also request a medical imaging scan (such as magnetic resonance imaging) to determine the extent of soft tissue damage within the thigh. Alternatively, X Rays or Ultrasound imaging may be used.
If the doctor concludes that the strain is either grade I or II in severity, he or she will likely suggest a R.I.C.E. based treatment strategy:
As the injury heals, the doctor may suggest a physical therapy exercise program to increase quadricep strength and recover the original knee and hip range of motion.
As we suggested earlier, if the quad strain is in the grade III category (completely severed muscle), non invasive treatment approaches will not be adequate. Instead, surgery will be necessary to reattach the severed muscle and repair any other damage to bones or soft tissue.
The doctor or surgeon will be able to explain the options available and make a recommendation.
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