Myositis Ossificans Traumatica
Myositis Ossificans Traumatic is a disorder in which bone tissue develops inside muscle or other soft tissues because of an injury. People like young adults and athletes have a higher probability of developing this condition because of the higher chances of experiencing traumatic injuries.
Furthermore, myositis ossificans Traumatica is more likely to develop in the bigger muscles of the legs and arms. Thus, young adults who are highly active in sports, ones who play just for fun, or ones who are professional and competitive athletes develop myositis ossificans Traumatica than others.
However, there are some people also who have greater chances. For instance, people who have paralysis down the waist have higher chances of developing myositis ossificans. This can happen even if they do not develop any injury.
Causes of Myositis Ossificans Traumatica
Usually, Myositis Ossificans Traumatica develops when someone gets a single traumatic injury. Such traumatic injuries can develop when a person sustains a hit while playing soccer or football. It can cause deep muscle bruises in the body.
Besides, a Myositis Ossificans Traumatica can also occur when your same area faces a repetitive injury. Horseback riders can develop such an injury in their backs. Furthermore, a severe muscle strain can also cause myositis ossificans, but very rarely.
No matter what your cause is, you develop Myositis Ossificans Traumatica when errors develop in the healing process of your body. Immature bone cells replace the fibroblasts (muscle cells) at the place of an injury.
Ultimately, a hard lump or bump develops inside the muscle. However, it takes a lot of time to develop and starts within some weeks after the injury.
Besides, it becomes quite hard to predict myositis ossificans. Young adults and athletes are more prone to develop this disorder.
Symptoms.
If you have a typical muscle strain or an injury, then your pain is not going to stay for long. However, if you have myositis ossificans, then your pain is going to become worse with time. This doesn’t get better than in the case of usual muscle strains.
There may be some other changes visible at the place of bone growth. People with this problem may also see changes in the affected muscle, which includes:
Warmth
Swelling
A lump or bump
Range of motion decreases
Diagnosis.
Diagnosis of a myositis ossificans Traumatica takes place by several steps. Before going for any particular tests, your doctor will ask you several questions. He/she may try to know about the incident when your injury occurred, the symptoms, etc.
He/she also might try to know about the steps that you took to reduce the pain. If the pain is persistent for two to three weeks, your doctor may order some imaging tests. These tests will find out if soft tissues have any bone growth.
Your doctor may perform these tests.
X-ray. Diagnosing myositis ossificans Traumatica with an x-ray could be quite tough at the early stages. Within the first 2–3 weeks after an injury, most x-rays do not show any abnormalities. However, it may show changes after three to four weeks.
Ultrasound. To look at the soft tissues, this method uses sound waves. This test helps detect the early changes in the myositis ossificans Traumatica.
Furthermore, ultrasonography is dependent on a person’s ability to read the scans. Thus, not many doctors may recommend this test in the beginning.
Computed tomography (CT) scan. This test may help your doctor to see early changes in soft tissue development. However, your doctor may not consider it 100% reliable. Therefore, to detect the myositis ossificans Traumatica, your doctor may order some additional tests.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Your doctor may prefer this method for observing your soft tissue. Also, to confirm and compare the diagnosis, your doctor may still order additional tests.
In that regard, a biopsy is an efficient tool to confirm the diagnosis. Often, myositis ossificans Traumatica can be confused with other types of soft tissue cancers. This is why your doctor may order several tests.
Treatment.
Most of the time, a myositis ossificans Traumatica resolves on its own. Furthermore, you get comfort by taking several painkillers like ibuprofen or naproxen.
As a part of the treatment, there are other things that a person can do at home. These include:
Rest the area.
You can ice the injury.
Elevate the affected area
Stretch gently
To reduce the swelling, you can wrap the muscle with an elastic bandage.
To build up the muscle strength, you can initiate physical therapy after the initial 48 to 72 years. This therapy should start with the movement of joints gently and slowly in different directions. This way you can see how far the area will go.
Furthermore, if physical therapy, other home care measures, and pain relievers do not help in controlling myositis ossificans Traumatica, then you may need surgery. Your doctor may recommend surgery only when you have:
Presence of growths that interfere with nearby joints, blood vessels, and nerves.
Limited range of motion that makes it tougher for you to perform usual activities.
Besides, your doctor may delay surgery for some time in certain cases. He/she may recommend this reduce the chances of recurrence of myositis ossificans Traumatica.
Prevention.
One cannot predict at the start who can or cannot get myositis ossificans. However, you can treat your injury by using a method called RICE which is
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
If you are an athlete who has an injury, you need to quit the game immediately. This becomes more important when you have swelling or some bruises.
After you get an injury, a lesser range of motion and gentle stretching is essential. You may develop myositis ossificans Traumatica in the muscle that you don’t use much.
Thus, it becomes highly essential to see a doctor, if the symptoms do not get better with home care or on their own.
Coping and support
When you get diagnosed with Myositis Ossificans Traumatic, it could be frightening for you. The condition will be no different for your family.
However, you may learn to cope with the uncertainty and distress related to cancer with time. Thus, you need to follow these instructions until then;
Call on for medical support:
Various things are going to help you. For instance, the knowledge and understanding of a medical social worker, or any other mental health professional is necessary. They will help you in understanding your cancer.
Furthermore, if your child or other family member suffers from cancer, you need to ask health care professionals for advice. They will provide you with options for medical health support. This will also provide you with emotional and social support.
In addition to this, you can check various online services that will provide you support to combat cancer.
- Gain more knowledge about Myositis Ossificans Traumatica to make decisionsabout control and care:
Ask your doctor about various treatment options related to Myositis Ossificans Traumatic. Little knowledge is dangerous. Therefore, more confidence in understanding and making decisions about treatment options will be there with you. So you should always learn more about the disease.
Ask the health care team for guidance if your child has cancer. Therefore, get more and more information for appropriately caring for the patient.
Be close to your friends and family:
A close and strong relationship with your family and friends is necessary. It will help you deal with Myositis Ossificans Traumatic.
You need practical support, moral support from your friends and relatives. Thus, someone should be there for you to look after the family. Emotional support from them is going to matter most. Thus, a healthy and happy person will ultimately efficiently fight the disease.
Prepare for your appointment
You are likely to start making an appointment with your primary care doctor if some signs and symptoms worry you. Ask for a referral to an experienced specialist if your doctor suspects Myositis Ossificans Traumatic.
A team of specialists typically can treat. For instance;
Tumor surgeons who have specialization in operating soft tissue cancers.
Doctors who have a specialization in treating cancers with systemic medications or chemotherapy.
Pathologists diagnose the specific type of cancer by analyzing a tissue.
Rehabilitation specialists who after surgery help in the recovery of a tumor.
What you should expect from your doctor:
You will face several questions from your doctor. Thus, you should be ready to answer these. So, give more time to your doctor to address them. Your doctor may ask;
What signs and symptoms concern you more?
Have your symptoms been occasional or continuous?
When did you start to notice the symptoms?
The severity of your symptoms?
Is there anything that improves your symptoms?
Is there anything that worsens your symptoms?
Do you have any family or personal history of cancer?