INJURIES
IN SPORTSCLINICAL
ASSESSMENT OF ANTERIOR
TIGH PAIN AT PERFORMANCE ATHLETES Oraviţan
Mihaela1, Vasilescu Mirela2,
Avram Claudiu 1, Galoşi Lucian3
1 Physical Education and Sport
Faculty, West University of Timisoara,
2 University of Craiova,
3 Rehabilitation Department,
Emmergency Clinical County Hospital of Timisoara, Romania
The
anterior thigh is the site of lot of injuries at performance athletes;
the most common causes of this pain are presented in table 1.
Table 1. Anterior
thigh pain etiology
| Cause of
anterior thigh pain | Frequency
| | Contusion of
quadriceps femori muscle
| ***
| | Strain
of quadriceps
femori muscle
| ***
| | Myositis
ossificans
of quadriceps femori muscle |
***
| | Referred
pain (from
hip joint, sacroiliac joint, lumbar spine) |
**
| | Strain
of gracilis
muscle |
**
| | Strain
of sartorius
muscle |
**
| | Femur
stress
fracture |
**
| | Avulsion of the
rectus femori apophysis |
**
| | Perthes´
disease |
*
| | Tumor
(osteosarcoma
of the femur etc.) |
*
|
*** - common; ** -
less common; * - rare
The
clinical assessment of this symptom is based, like in other pain
syndromes, on history of pain, on clinical examination and other
investigations. The anamnesis must determine the mechanism of a
potential injury, the evolution of pain, the presence of other
symptoms, the functionality of lower limb, the medical
measures that have been applied before (PRICE, AINS medication etc.).
The clinical examination elements which are important to put a correct
diagnosis are presented in table 2.
Table 2. Steps of
clinical examination in anterior thigh pain
| Inspection
| Standing, walking,
supine |
| Palpation
| Subcutaneous,
muscular tissues | |
Functionality
| Active movements:
hip flexion, hip extension, knee flexion, knee extension
| | Passive movements:
hip flexion, hip extension, knee flexion, knee extension, stretching of
anterior thigh muscles |
| Resisted movements:
knee extension, straight leg raises, hip flexion
| | Functional test:
squat, jump, hop, kick |
| Special test: for
femoral stress fracture, neural tension, lumbar spine, sacroiliac joint
|
Although,
usually, anterior thigh pain does not require other paraclinical
examinations, there are some investigations that may be done at these
athletes: ultrasound, X-ray, isotopic bone scan or MRI. Because the
treatment protocols for the pathologies manifested with anterior thigh
pain are different, all these steps must be respected carefully.
Key
words: anterior thigh, pain, athletes.
|
