what is a quad contusion

A quad contusion, short for quadriceps contusion, is an injury to the quadriceps, a group of four muscles at the front of the thigh that help you straighten your knee and flex your hip. It is caused by a direct blow to the thigh, which makes the muscle tear and bleed, and can also tear the sheath that covers the quadriceps muscles. Symptoms of a quad contusion include thigh pain, tenderness, bruising, swelling, a bump in the thigh, trouble bending the knee, trouble flexing the hip, and trouble walking. The severity of the symptoms depends on how severe the contusion is. Quad contusions can be classified as mild, moderate, and severe. Mild injuries result in mild pain and swelling, but the athlete is able to walk without a limp, while severe injuries are very painful and are accompanied by noticeable swelling, significant loss of motion in the knee, and cause an obvious limp. With rest and proper treatment, most people get better from a quad contusion within a few weeks.