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Rectus femoris tear/partial tear

david waredavid ware
in General Training Discussions
Slipped on ice. Hyper flexed left leg. Extreme pain. Saw Doc who says either partial or whole tear. Started treatment. Had to cancel 2 XC ski races this weekend. He says typically 4-6 weeks for healing. Currently no running ( I still hobble when I try to walk), biking with no resistance, deep water run as tolerated. looks like I am also out of my big ski race in 2 weeks. Will certainly hamper Boston prep. Has anyone had this? How long does it take to get a semblance of recovery? Suggestions? Thanks

Comments

  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    Yep, I tore that one in my mid 20s...1983...right leg, very high up close to the insertion in the hip. However, my tear came from overuse and fast racing on top of it. I pulled my 1983 running journal and see big mileage prior to the injury, lots of track work, then first mention of the hip/thigh bothering me on 21 June. Instead of resting, I raced 5Ks on 25 Jun and 2 July, then threw down a 4:20 road mile as part of a military relay team on 8 Jul. That was it, and I stopped running the next day and started biking/swimming only. Ran a little on 18 Jul then took another 4 days off before starting back daily on 23 Jul. Still having problems though and got PT help, ultra-sound, electrical stim, and moist heat packs to come back to speed. PT is where I learned that I had a partial tear of the rectus femoris, most likely from the 1 mile effort when it was already over trained and weakened. On 31 Aug my journal says "Right leg is getting stronger and better everyday." No further mention of it after that.

    No injuries are the same, even to the same muscle. If the tear is near blood vessels it will heal faster. Unfortunately, your timing is horrible and you may have to modify your Boston goals to ensure you do not damage it further during the marathon. Good luck!
  • Dave TalloDave Tallo
    I had a strain for weeks 2 through 13 of my in-season last year. It persisted, impaired my paces, and didn't heal until after the A race was done and I took an entire month off. Sorry to be pessemistic about it, but I would say a solid ~ month of inactivity would be your best solution to having an injury-free and productive season ahead of you.
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