# I appear to have a dent in my leg. Normal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 28, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appear-to-have-a-dent-in-my-leg-normal/385827 "2006-12-28T01:49:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appear-to-have-a-dent-in-my-leg-normal/385827/1 "2006-12-28T01:49:55Z")
A few inches up from my ankle, on the front/left of my right leg. The kind of dent you’d expect to get if you hit a cake with the flat edge of a steel ruler reasonably gently. This isn’t a medical advice post, since either way I don’t plan on doing anything about it. Just wondered there’s supposed to be a dent there or i’ve whacked my leg into something and not noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appear-to-have-a-dent-in-my-leg-normal/385827/2 "2006-12-28T01:58:19Z")
Many people have those. A doctor once showed me an x-ray of my shins and told me to be more careful because I have lots of chips and distortions and the damage builds. Whacking your lower leg hard can leave damage that you can see or feel forever. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appear-to-have-a-dent-in-my-leg-normal/385827/3 "2006-12-28T02:35:11Z")
I have a dent exactly as you’ve described, in the same location. But I have more important body-related things to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appear-to-have-a-dent-in-my-leg-normal/385827/4 "2006-12-28T04:04:06Z")
Are you talking about a dent just in the skin? Does touching it cause the dent to go deeper or get bigger? Look into _pitting edema_ and issues with circulation. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appear-to-have-a-dent-in-my-leg-normal/385827/5 "2006-12-28T05:37:42Z")
Yes, need more details and/or picture. Pitting edema is on the list of differentials. So are fractures and the like. Does it stay? How long has it been there? What were you doing before you noticed it? Does it hurt? Is there any discoloration? How is the rest of you? ---
**Author:** ![Don26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@Don26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don26)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appear-to-have-a-dent-in-my-leg-normal/385827/6 "2006-12-28T06:47:38Z")
I study Kenpo, and spar often. After one fight, where I was woefully overmatched, btw, I had a dent in my shin for two months, It only hurt the first few days, but it sure looked odd. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2006, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appear-to-have-a-dent-in-my-leg-normal/385827/7 "2006-12-28T12:33:44Z")
It doesn’t hurt, and there’s no discolouration. And it appears to have gone now. Touching it didn’t make it go deeper, or form in the first place (and I can’t get it to come back by pressing there). It just felt like a dent in the bone, and the skin itself didn’t look dented (though it wasn’t much of a dent, so I might not have been able to tell). ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appear-to-have-a-dent-in-my-leg-normal/385827/8 "2006-12-29T00:50:09Z")
Well, probably good that it went away on its own. Let us know if it comes back. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appear-to-have-a-dent-in-my-leg-normal/385827/9 "2006-12-29T02:03:56Z")
I think i’ve figured out what it was. I was sitting with my leg against the side of my desk. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-appear-to-have-a-dent-in-my-leg-normal/385827/10 "2006-12-29T02:34:53Z")
\ Congratulations on not having pitting edema 😉