How Common Is A Ligament Tear?
We have commonly heard that “This is a ligament tear”. Do you know what it means? Continue reading to know the causes, symptoms, and treatment of ligament tears.
What Are Ligaments?
A ligament is a band of fibrous tissue that connects bone to bone or bone to cartilage. Ligaments are considered to be extremely strong and can be stretched or even torn, which can result in different grades of sprains. The function of ligaments is to support and strengthen the joints. They help in keeping the bones of the skeleton in proper alignment and prevent abnormal movements of the joints.
A ligament tear usually happens due to extreme force to a joint such as a fall or any high-impact event. The common ligament tears are seen in the regions of the ankle, knee, wrist, thumb, neck, or back ligaments.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Ligament Tear?
The symptoms of a ligament tear include
Swelling and bruising
Difficulty in moving the joint normally
Sometimes during an injury, you may feel a tearing sensation
Muscle spasms
Who Are Prone To Ligament Tear?
Wrestlers, Credits: pixabay
Young boys and men, athletes, and wrestlers are prone to ligament tears as their joints are consistently in action.
Location of Ligament Tear
Ligament tear usually happens during a fall, sudden twisting, or a blow to the body. Ligament tears more commonly happen in the ankles, knees, and wrist. Some of the more common ligament tears include:
Knee Ligament Injuries
Knee ligament tear, Credits: pixabay
ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament): ACL is the most common ligament to be injured
MCL (medial collateral ligament) or LCL (lateral collateral ligament) sprain
Patella (knee cap) dislocation
Ankle Ligament Injuries
An ankle sprain usually happens in competitive athletes.
Ankle sprain
Achilles tear or rupture
Shoulder Ligament Injuries
Shoulder dislocation
AC joint injury
Rotator cuff tear
Wrist and hand ligament injuries- Finger sprain or thumb sprain
Spinal Ligament Injuries
Neck sprain
Back ligament sprain
Whiplash
Text neck
Sometimes the ligaments in the back can be torn by lifting something heavy.
How Ligament Tears Are Diagnosed?
x rays, Credits: pixabay
Ligament tears are identified by a physical examination and medical history. Your doctor examines the site of the injury and asks you what you were doing when you were experiencing the injury. The extent of the injury is identified by moving the joint.
An X-ray examination helps them reveal if the bones are fractured or broken. An MRI may be necessary to check if there is a partial or complete ligament tear. Based on the physical examination and imaging, sprains are gradedlike grade 1 (there is ligament damage but no significant tearing), grade 2 (partial ligament tear), and grade 3 (severe pain with a complete tear of the ligament).
Treatment of Ligament Tears
RICE treatment, Credits: pixabay
The initial treatment plan for a ligament injury is Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE).
Rest
The injured area must not be stressed for one or two days.Do not lift anything with an injured wrist, elbow, or shoulder.
Ice
A short term relief to the injured area is possible by applying cold, which can limit swelling. Place an ice pack on the injured area for 10 minutes every two hours for the first two to three days. Do not place ice directly on the skin and use a thin cloth to wrap the ice.
Compression
To ease the pain, the injured area is wrapped with an elastic band to limit and reduce the overall swelling. Sometimes a compression sleeve can also be used for the specific type of injury.
Elevation
This helps control blood flow to the area and, thus, reduces swelling. Try keeping the injured area above the level of your heart by elevating your leg or arm slightly above you.
The treatment protocol can vary according to the grades of the sprain. A grade 2 sprain may require bracing to allow healing of the partial ligament tear that has happened. Surgery may be required to treat a grade 3 sprain.
Once the pain and swelling are under control, your doctor may advise you to have physical therapy or home exercises. This helps restore the function of the ligament and joint. Depending on the severity of the ligament tear, the recovery time can vary from a few weeks to few months.