Category Archives: strain

Achilles/Patellar/Quadricep, Basketball, strain

DeMarcus Cousins’ Tear of Left Quadriceps

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DeMarcus Cousins of the Golden State Warriors injured his left quad in Monday’s game against the LA Clippers. This was a non-contact injury. As Cousins pursued a loose ball, he fell to the floor. Cousins then signaled to be taken out of the game. He did not return.

An MRI Tuesday morning diagnosed a “torn left quadriceps muscle.” This is a strain. As is typical for the Sports Injury Blog, we find no utility in this MRI. If you strain your quad, you will not have or benefit from an MRI.

A partial tear of the quadriceps muscle heals with time. He will do stretching exercises. While it is safe to play, he will likely have too much pain and stiffness to be effective. It is reported that he will be out for the remainder of the playoffs.

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Giancarlo Stanton Bicep Strain

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On Sunday, March 31st, Yankees’ outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton felt immediate discomfort in his left arm after a swing. Initially thought to be a cramp, Stanton finished the game. But on Monday, April 1st, Stanton was put on the Injured List diagnosed with a grade 1 left biceps strain. There is no date set for his return. Manager Aaron Boone expects Stanton to miss at least a month.

People often refer to the muscle on the front of the arm–the muscle that bends the elbow–as the biceps. But the major elbow flexor and the majority of the bulk on the anterior arm is the brachialis muscle. The biceps is a smaller, narrow muscle on top of the brachialis that is mainly used for forceful supination (rotating the forearm to a palm up position).

A strain is a partial or complete tear of the muscle fibers. Strains are due to a sudden, typically eccentric (lengthening a contracting muscle) force. The amount of muscle tearing determines the grade of the strain. Grade 1 strain indicates a tear of relatively few muscle fibers. Diagnosis is based on interview and examination.

Muscle strains heal over time. Ice and heat can be used to improve comfort. Athletes can return when they are comfortable enough to be effective.

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Boban Marjanovic’s Knee Contusion

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Boban Marjanovic, recently traded from the LA Clippers to the Philadelphia 76ers, was carried off the court with knee pain late in the game against the Pelicans Monday, February 25, 2019. The injury happened during a defensive play where Marjanovic’s leg was twisted and tangled up with New Orleans’ Cheick Diallo as the two were going for the ball. Boban was not able to get back up and he seemed to be in extreme pain.

He later had an MRI that showed only a bone bruise (contusion) and a minor ligament strain. There was no injury to the anterior cruciate ligament or other major injury.  

This injury is similar to the Boston Celtics rookie Robert Williams knee to knee collision that happened during the first game of the Summer League on July 6th, 2018.  Treatment for a bone contusion is supportive and nonspecific.

Boban is expected to return to action before the end of the regular season.