Imaging in the diagnosis, prognostication, and management of lower limb muscle injury.

Muscle injuries of the lower extremity are extremely common among athletes leading to significant morbidity and time out from competition. Furthermore, increasing athletic activity in the general population has resulted in lower limb muscle injuries becoming commonplace. It is therefore vital for the musculoskeletal radiologist to be familiar with the imaging findings of lower limb muscle injuries and to be aware of the role of imaging in the prognostication and management of these injuries. The most commonly injured lower limb muscles are the quadriceps, the hamstring complex, and the gastrocnemius muscles. This article reviews the biomechanical and imaging features of common acute muscle injuries of the lower extremity and evaluates the role of imaging in the prognosis of these sport injuries.