Quad pain/issues

I could really use some help here...
I’ve run into this bizarre issue with my quadriceps. I’ve noticed these horizontal indentations on both legs, about four inches below the hip, perfectly symmetrical on both sides. It looks almost as if the muscle has somehow shrunk or pulled inward, leaving a sort of hollow space behind... It all seemed to start right around the same time I picked up an elliptical trainer at my local gym. Has anyone else ever dealt with something like this?
I’ve already gone to see two different orthopedic specialists, and neither one of them has any clue what it could be...
Honestly, guys, I’m starting to feel a bit desperate because I just don't know what else to do.😕.🤷🤷🤷

Has anyone else experienced anything strange happening to their legs from using an elliptical? I’m really starting to worry myself sick about this...

Take a picture? 🤷

Post 6908

The image is a little small, I know, but you can still make out the line I'm talking about...
Now, if anyone could help me out here, I'd really appreciate it.......

Honestly, it doesn't look like anything out of the ordinary... I mean, if you aren't in pain and you aren't actually feeling any discomfort, I'm not sure why anyone would make such a huge deal out of it. Maybe it’s just some weird quirk of quad genetics finally showing up after a few solid sessions on the leg press....

I mean, there isn't much to actually see in that photo, but what really bothers me is how this thing just popped up out of nowhere without anyone having any clue what we're dealing with...
I’ve been hitting the gym pretty consistently for three or four years now, though I skipped my usual session today because the weather is just too miserable, so I ended up using the elliptical I have at home instead. It doesn't make any sense to me... it seems unlikely that something like this would originate from an elliptical rather than something like a squat rack or some cable extensions, for instance.

I can't see anything

I mean, I’d say it’s probably just from overdoing it, but since you mentioned you’re already doing squats and all that stuff regularly, then... honestly, I don't know, maybe I'm wrong too.🤷

I’ve been wanting to get this sorted out just so I can finally get back to my training routine. It feels like I’m stuck in limbo because nobody can give me a straight answer on whether I’m cleared to exercise yet or if I really need to stay on the sidelines. For now, I’m playing it safe and staying rested, mostly because I don't want to risk making things worse...
I’d honestly love nothing more than to be back out there hitting my stride again.😢

So, what did those two orthopedic surgeons end up telling you?

I remember this one woman who was completely stumped by the situation, so she ended up calling over a colleague to help out. He just looked at her and basically said, and I quote: "Look, I'm clueless here; I'm not exactly Dr. House, you know?"😕
So, I decided to try something different for the next two weeks—swapping out my elliptical sessions for pure strength training to see if it would make any kind of difference... but, naturally, nothing changed at all.

You really ought to go see a specialist—maybe someone at the Mayo Clinic—to have them check if you're dealing with some kind of fluid retention

I don't think I have any real issue with the idea itself, but if I actually decide to pull the trigger on this, do you happen to know which specialist I should be seeing?

Heading straight to the specialist... I think it’s time for an appointment with the internist.

I honestly haven't the slightest clue what to make of it. Looking at the ultrasound footage, the muscle tissue itself appears perfectly healthy—just this dark, empty void where there should be substance, and then everything returns to normal right after. It’s almost surreal, like a piece of the muscle is just missing entirely. Does anyone have any idea what we're looking at here?

Did you just go in for the scan, or did you actually get a full physical with an internist?

I just finished up an ultrasound with my orthopedic specialist, and honestly, I’m at a total loss as to what comes next. Neither my primary care physician nor the orthopedist could make heads or tails of it; they both mentioned they've never seen anything quite like this before...
It’s also been pretty draining dealing with the healthcare system here—waiting months for every single follow-up appointment feels like an eternity when you're trying to stay on top of things. I really want to get back into my workout routine, but I'm sitting here stuck in limbo, wondering if I should even push myself or if I'll end up making things worse.

Look, please don't mess around here—your health is far too important to play games with. You really ought to go see an internist. I’ll have more information for you tomorrow; my old family doctor is actually quite an expert in these matters, so she has a much better handle on this kind of thing. I'm planning to pick her brain tomorrow once she finishes up her shift at the hospital.

That sounds like a solid plan... I’m heading over to my primary care physician tomorrow to grab a referral, then I'll head down to the hospital to get myself on the schedule. Thanks for the heads-up.🙂