Question about stunting muscle growth...

[purbeast0]

On my 4th birthday, I was hit by a car and was seriously injurred. I was dragged under the car for 100ft and flown to children's hospital in DC. I was pretty lucky to be alive after that.

The major injury that I had was a broken right femur. The bone basically cracked in half (not sure if fully or not) and popped out basically the side of my thigh muscle.

Since I've started lifting weights my legs have always been my smallest muscle in proportion to the rest of my body.

As I 've gotten bigger, legs included, i't noticed that my right thigh definitely has a different shape than my left one. It is also noticely smaller if you look at them front on.

Now my question is basically this...

Can an injury like what I had cause permanent damage that will cause muscle to not grow back properly?

The reason I ask is because if you look straight on like I said, my right thigh almost looks like it is kind of 'cut off'. Like on my left thigh it starts to round a little from the front to the sides, whereas my right side is almost an edge. And this edge is all along my thigh, right where my scar is from where the bone popped out.

I tried to do a google search on this but didn't really find anything relavent. But since it is now noticeable to me I'm wondering if my accident had any effect on it, and if that is part of the reason my legs always seemed to be the smallest out of my muscles as I lifted.

 

[Whisper]

I'm not positive, but I'm almost sure that a significantly traumatic injury--such as the compound fracture you've described--can indeed affect the way the muscle tissue regrows and/or attaches to the bone as it heals.

 

[mizzou]

yup

could be a birth defect though, it's hard to tell

your doc would know for sure though, someone who has access to your old ex rays or surgery report

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Muscle is not typically a regenerative tissue. The cells can get bigger and smaller, but you can't typically get more cells. You can, however, lose muscle cells due to trauma. Also, the amount your cells can increase in size will likely be limited by scar tissue. So you likely have two things going on: previous necrosis from the blunt trauma itself has decreased the number of muscle cells you have and space within your leg is limited due to scar tissue formation. This isn't exactly a problem that can be alleviated through any sort of rehabilitative treatment (surgerical or not). Sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news Are you still getting stronger though? Neural gains can continue even if size gains cannot.

 

[Bateluer]

Something to contact your doctor on, I would think. Is it hampering your lifting or day to day functions at all?

 

[MJinZ]

Muscle is not typically a regenerative tissue. The cells can get bigger and smaller, but you can't typically get more cells. You can, however, lose muscle cells due to trauma. Also, the amount your cells can increase in size will likely be limited by scar tissue. So you likely have two things going on: previous necrosis from the blunt trauma itself has decreased the number of muscle cells you have and space within your leg is limited due to scar tissue formation. This isn't exactly a problem that can be alleviated through any sort of rehabilitative treatment (surgerical or not). Sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news Are you still getting stronger though? Neural gains can continue even if size gains cannot.

Yup, when I see some lifters at the gym with something off about their calves or legs or whatever, it is usually a tear or break in the muscle and it never seems to be recover completely... even as the guy gets incredibly jacked otherwise.

 

[mizzou]

suppose it's just a friendly reminder how lucky you are

 

[Koing]

My mate has a birth defect on his left calf. I'm not sure what it's called but his left calf is A LOT smaller, like if someone had taken a bite out of it.

Koing