Muscle Contusion 

Athletes in all contact sports have many opportunities to get a muscle contusion (bruise). Contusions are second only to strains as a leading cause of sports injuries.

Most contusions are minor and heal quickly, without taking the athlete away from the game. But, severe contusions can cause deep tissue damage and can lead to complications that may keep the athlete out of sports for months.

Cause

Contusions occur when a direct blow or repeated blows from a blunt object strike part of the body, crushing underlying muscle fibers and connective tissue without breaking the skin. A contusion can result from falling or jamming the body against a hard surface.

Symptoms

Contusions cause swelling and pain, and limit joint range of motion near the injury. Torn blood vessels may cause bluish discoloration. The injured muscle may feel weak and stiff.

Sometimes a pool of blood collects within damaged tissue, forming a lump over the injury (hematoma).

In severe cases, swelling and bleeding beneath the skin may cause shock. If tissue damage is extensive, you may also have a broken bone, dislocated joint, sprain, torn muscle, or other injuries.

Contusions to the abdomen may damage internal organs.

  • Achilles Tendon Injury
  • Adolescent Anterior Knee Pain
  • Ankle Sprains
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
  • Baseball Injuries
  • Basketball Injuries
  • Burners & Stingers
  • Bursitis of the Hip
  • Compartment Syndrome
  • Elbow Fractures
  • Forearm Fractures in Children
  • Fracture of the Proximal Tibia
  • Golf Injuries
  • Growth Plate Fractures
  • Hamstring Muscle Injuries
  • High School Sports Injuries
  • Hockey Injuries
  • Jumper’s Knee Injuries
  • Meniscus Tear
  • Muscle Contusion (Bruise)
  • Runner’s Knee
  • Shoulder Separation Injury
  • Skiing Injuries
  • Sledding Injuries
  • Soccer Injuries
  • Sprains, Strains & Soft Tissue Injuries
  • Stress Fractures
  • Swimming Injuries
  • Tennis Injuries
  • Throwing Injuries
  • Volleyball Injuries

  • Achilles Tendon Repair
  • Acromioplasty
  • Ankle Fracture Repair (Ilizarov/Deformity Correction)
  • Ankle Joint Fusion(Ilizarov/Deformity Correction) Surgery
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair
  • Arthroscopic Chondroplasty
  • Arthroscopic Meniscus Repair
  • Bankart Repair
  • Biceps Tendon Rupture Surgery
  • Biceps Tenodesis
  • Broken Collarbone Surgery
  • Cartilage Transplant
  • Elbow Epicondylitis Surgery (Tenex Repair)
  • Elbow Fracture Surgery
  • Hand & Wrist Surgery
  • High Tibial Osteotomy
  • Knee Arthroscopy
  • Labrum Surgery
  • Lateral Collateral Ligament Surgery
  • Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Repair
  • Meniscus Repair
  • Muscle Strain Treatment
  • MPFL – Reconstruction of the Patella
  • Non-Unions of the Tibia Fractures (Ilizarov Correction Surgery)
  • OCE – Repair of the Osteochondritis
  • Overuse Injury Treatment
  • Partial Menisectomy
  • Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Repair
  • Revision Shoulder Replacement Surgery
  • Rotator Cuff Repair Surgery
  • Shoulder Arthroscopy
  • Shoulder Arthroplasty
  • Subchondroplasty
  • Shoulder Impingement Syndrome Surgery
  • Shoulder Separation Surgery
  • Taylor Spatial Frame Surgery
  • Throwing Injury Surgery

The Orthopedic physicians at Peninsula Bone & Joint Clinic provide conservative treatment options for Sports Related conditions and injuries.

Diagnosis

Physical Examination & Patient History

During your first visit, your doctor will talk to you about your symptoms and medical history. During the physical examination, your doctor will check all the structures of your injury, and compare them to your non-injured anatomy.  Most injuries can be diagnosed with a thorough physical examination.

Imaging Tests

Imaging Tests Other tests which may help your doctor confirm your diagnosis include:

X-rays. Although they will not show any injury, x-rays can show whether the injury is associated with a broken bone.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. If your injury requires an MRI, this study is utilized to create a better image of soft tissues injuries. However, an MRI may not be required for your particular injury circumstance and will be ordered based on a thorough examination by your Peninsula Bone & Joint Clinic Orthopedic physician.

Principles of Sports Medicine

  • Timely Care

  • Minimally Invasive Procedures

  • Advanced Rehabilitation

  • Injury Prevention

One of the main goals of sports medicine is to put off major orthopedic surgery (such as joint replacement) as long as possible or even remove the need altogether with physical therapy, minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery and timely care.

When everything is working well, you hardly give them a thought. But when a problem arises, it’s often impossible to ignore.

Treatment Options

Non-Surgical

To control pain, bleeding, and inflammation, keep the muscle in a gentle stretch position and use the RICE formula:

Rest. Protect the injured area from further harm by stopping play. You may also use a protective device (i.e., crutches, sling).
Ice. Apply ice wrapped in a clean cloth. (Remove ice after 20 minutes.)
Compression. Lightly wrap the injured area in a soft bandage or ace wrap.
Elevation. Raise it to a level above the heart.

Most athletes with contusions get better quickly with simple treatment measures. Your doctor may give you nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, or other medications for pain relief. Do not massage the injured area.

During the first 24 to 48 hours after injury (acute phase), you will probably need to continue using rest, ice, compression bandages, and elevation of the injured area to control bleeding, swelling, and pain. While the injured part heals, be sure to keep exercising the uninjured parts of your body to maintain your overall level of fitness.

Surgical

If there is a large hematoma that does not go away within several days, your doctor may drain it surgically to speed healing.

Conservative Treatment Options

  • Non-Operative Sports Medicine Treatment

Treatment Highlights

FastFix 360 – Meniscus Repair

Peninsula Bone & Joint Clinic

The Orthopaedic physicians at Peninsula Bone & Joint Clinic provide comprehensive services to all members of the family.
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