Myositis Ossificans in the Arm
Myositis Ossificans is a growth of bone which develops in a muscle, following a contusion. On impact, the muscle is crushed against the underlying bone, resulting in bleeding (a hematoma) which sometimes hardens into bone.
Symptoms of Myositis Ossificans
- Pain in the arm at the point of impact.
- Tenderness to touch this area.
- Bruising and swelling.
- Pain when contracting or stretching the muscle.
- Reduced range of elbow or shoulder movement.
- A hard, bony lump may be felt in the muscle.
Causes
Myositis ossificans occurs following a direct impact injury to a muscle belly. It most commonly occurs in the thigh muscles, although can also occur in the calf or arm muscles.
The reason why sometimes the hematoma turns to bone is unknown. The following factors are however, known to increase the risk of this happening:
- Applying heat to an injury rather than ice - this increases the blood flow and metabolic rate in the area.
- Using sports massage or electrotherapy treatments too early after injury as this also increases blood flow and temperature. There should be at least 72 hours between injury and using any treatment which raises temperature.
Treatment of Contusions to Avoid Myositis Ossificans
- Rest the arm.
- Apply ice as soon as possible and every 2-3 hours for 15 minutes at a time.
- Elevate the arm above the heart to reduce bleeding and swelling.
- Use a compression bandage to reduce bleeding and swelling.
- Try to keep the arm moving gently.
Treament of Myositis Ossificans
- Once comfortable to do so, try to gently stretch the muscles involved.
- Treatment such as sports massage may benefit the injury to relax the muscle and regain flexibility.
- In most cases this injury does not cause the athlete any problems, once the initial pain and swelling have eased.
- If problems with strength, pain or movement persist, surgery may be required to remove the bony growth.
