ACute muscle and tendon injuries in athletes.

The goal of early treatment of acute soft tissue strains and contusions is prevention of further hemorrhage into injured tissues. Mild injuries are most common and routinely heal without incident; moderate and severe injuries may take weeks or months to heal and have a high incidence of complication such as myositis ossificans. The incidence of complication can be decreased by waiting for full painless range of motion of the injured extremity before allowing the athlete to return to competition. Rehabilitation minimizes the risk of reinjury.