Has anyone heard of this?

[Jeffrey A. Mathison]

Medically speaking, your characterization of the mechanism of a bruise is correct. The lining of the blood vessels, called endothelium, calls clot starters (platelets)to the site of damage (rupture) and the hole is sealed off. The larger the defect in the vessel lining, the larger the clot. Usually, these clots do not amount to much size and don't represent much of a threat. However, if they are above the knee and occur in a deep vessel (femoral vein)rather than a superficial vessel, we are at risk for a chain reaction clot formation to occur. Once the deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs, if not treated with anticoaggulation (heparin, coumadin, etc...), embolization can occur.

The best course of action to take for those "monster bruises" is to ice them down as quickly as possible and monitor for signs and symptoms of (DVT): increased pain, swelling, and increasing circumference of the thigh. If those symptoms occur, see you physician IMMEDIATELY!

Jeffrey A. Mathison, M.D.
Baseball Umpire