Ligament Sprains

A sprain is a stretching or tearing of ligaments — the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect two bones together in your joints. The most common location for a sprain is in your ankle.

Initial treatment includes rest, ice, compression and elevation. Mild sprains can be successfully treated at home. Severe sprains sometimes require surgery to repair torn ligaments.

The difference between a sprain and a strain is that a sprain injures the bands of tissue that connect two bones together, while a strain involves an injury to a muscle or to the band of tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone.

A sprain is an injury to the band of collagen tissue i.e. a ligament, which connects two or more bones to a joint. The primary function of a ligament is to provide passive stabilisation of a joint and it plays an important role in proprioceptive function.

A sprain is usually caused by the joint being forced suddenly outside its usual range of movement and the inelastic fibres are stretched through too great a range. For example, excessive inversion of the ankle can cause the lateral ankle ligaments, primarily the anterior talofibular ligament, to rupture.

A severe sprain may look and feel like a break (fracture), and it can be difficult for health professionals to tell the difference between the two.

A ligament rupture can occur at the midsubstance of the ligament or at the ligament-bone junction.

Sometimes an avulsion fracture also occurs (the ligament pulls a piece of bone with it on injury).

Symptoms of Ligament Sprains:

Signs and symptoms will vary, depending on the severity of the injury, and may include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Limited ability to move the affected joint
• Hearing or feeling a "pop" in your joint at the time of injury