A charley horse is a popular North American colloquial term for a painful bruise of the quadriceps muscle of the anterior or lateral thigh that commonly results in a muscular hematoma and sometimes several weeks of pain and disability. Such an injury is known in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries (and also in the U.S.) as a dead leg or granddaddy. In Australia it is also known as a corked thigh or "corker." It often occurs in sports when an athlete is struck by an opponent's knee, in a manner like the kick of a horse, perhaps the reason for its name.

The term "charley horse" is also used to describe simple painful muscle cramps in the leg or foot, especially those that follow strenuous exercise. These muscle cramps can have many possible causes including hormonal imbalances, dehydration, low levels of potassium or calcium in the blood, side effects of medication, or more seriously, diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and neuropathy. They are also a common complaint during pregnancy.

The quadriceps contusion type of "charley horse" is initially treated by icing. Recent studies have shown that the resulting tightness and contractions that sometimes ensue can be lessened by maintaining the knee in a fully bent position for the first 24 hours to prevent the involved muscles from going into spasm. Prematurely returning to sports activities increases the likelihood of the main complication of a charley horse, the deposition of calcium into the hematoma that forms at the site of injury.

This complication, termed myositis ossificans, can result in long-term disability.

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