Muscle injuries are very common, especially in sport. Muscle bruises and distensions account for 90% of all injuries during exercise.

Muscle bruises

They are injuries caused by blunt non-penetrating traumatizing agents. They are more common on the thigh and arms, especially in contact sports such as rugby, karate or judo. In Spain the most widespread contact sport is football and in it are very frequent bruises of the thigh (“sandwich”).

The severity of injuries caused by a bruise depend on:

• The degree of muscle contraction at the time of contact.

• Compression of the muscle in bandages or girdles can increase the severity of the injury.

• Fatigue decreases muscle resistance to trauma.

• The age.

Treatment is generally non-surgical and physiotherapy and rehabilitation play a critical role in the patient’s recovery.

Muscle sprains or ruptures

The cause of muscle sprain is the sharp stretching above your endurance capacity. They are especially common in sports that require rapid acceleration, such as football or basketball.

They have been classified into four grades:

1. Fibrillar rupture with complete muscular fascia. (“Elongation”).

2. Larger fibrillar rupture.

3. Partial muscle breakage.

4. Complete muscle and fascia rupture.

Non-surgical treatment is the most widespread, even in the most severe cases, and physiotherapy treatment is essential in the patient’s recovery.