Front Thigh Pain
Anterior thigh pain or injuries at the front of the thigh. An acute thigh injury comes on suddenly and includes muscle strains (tears) or contutions which are caused my direct impact or collision. Chronic or gradual onset pain at the front of the thigh occurs over time. The athlete may not be able to identify a specific moment the injury was caused.
A thigh strain or quadriceps strain is a tear in one of the quadriceps muscles at the front of the thigh. It can range from a mild discomfort to a full blown tear of most of the muscle, resulting in severe pain and inability to walk.
A dead leg or charley horse is a bruise or contusion caused by a sharp impact with a muscle which is usually crushed against the thigh bone resulting in swelling and sometimes bruising of the thigh muscles.
Myositis ossificans can occur as a complication of not treating a contusion correctly and involves a small growth of bone within the muscle. It usually occurs a while after a severe impact to the knee that causes internal damage, which is subsequently left untreated.