Introduction: Quadriceps muscle tear, secondary to direct trauma, is an uncommon injury in a military setting. Signs and symptoms of this injury are usually non-specific and may resemble other, more common and benign overuse injuries.
Patients and methods: Five Israeli Defense Forces Special Forces soldiers who were diagnosed with partial quadriceps muscle tears, following a "low-kick" exercise, aimed to the thigh, during "hand-to-hand combat" training. Diagnosis and follow-up were made using thigh sonography.
Results: Symptoms duration before diagnosis was 20.6 +/- 9.41 days (mean +/- SD, range: 7-35). Two of the soldiers were found to have myositis ossificans at the affected site, a known complication of muscle trauma. Treatment regime included a long rest and intensive physiotherapy, with a gradual return to active service. Downtime from diagnosis was 55.8 +/- 17.3 days (mean +/- SD, range: 24-73). All patients eventually fully recovered and returned to active service.
Conclusion: Quadriceps muscle tear is a rare injury with a delayed presentation and diagnosis in highly motivated soldiers. Sonography facilitates diagnosis and monitoring of healing. Early diagnosis may decrease morbidity and allow earlier return to work.