Ligaments Injury: All About The Most Common Ligaments Injuries And Treatment Options

Ligaments are nothing but connective tissues that hold two or more bones together. There are a grand total of 900 ligaments in your entire body. Most of these are in your limbs, and the remaining are spread around the neck, trunk, abdomen and pelvis. These delicate yet strong tissues are often subject to major injuries common in professional sport. Despite there being 900 ligaments, there are a few ligaments which often get injured, and as a result tear. These can be increasingly painful, and the way to correctly identify a ligament tear and its gradient is through an MRI test (Magnetic Resonance Imaging).

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Here are the common ligament injuries and tears you must be careful of:

1. Anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments: We list these ligaments before the knee for one simple reason. It is undoubtedly the most common ligament to go awry. The connectors of the tibia and femur, they form a cross shape to maximise grip and prevent the bones from losing their position. Often, during high intensity sports like football, running and climbing, these joints are put under pressure and may be subject to a tear

ACL tears are the most common
Photo Credit: iStock

2. Rest of the knee: The ACL and PCL aren't the only two ligaments in the knee. There are still the medial and lateral collateral ligaments. These connect the same two bones, but from the inner and outer sides of your knee respectively. Often, sharp changes in direction of the knee or twisting of the same can cause injuries in these ligaments. Additionally, it is also not unheard of for your patella/knee cap to get displaced due to a traumatic impact.

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3. Ankle: Well, a tear in the ankle is less common, but a sprained ankle is witnessed by most people. All it takes, is one wrong step, and your foot is suddenly at an awkward angle. Your ankle would immediately swell up, pain upon movement and be unable to bear much weight.

4. Jogger's heel: The connective tissue on the underside of your feet are often strained when you run, walk or jog for long hours. This will usually cause pain near the heel for short durations. If you are overweight or exercise without proper stretching, this injury becomes common.

5. Shoulder: This injury looks extremely disturbing when it occurs. Your shoulder's AC joint, having experienced a strong blow, may pop out of the cavity, causing a tear in certain ligaments connecting the scapula (shoulder bone) and the clavicle (collarbone). However this is different from shoulder dislocation, which is when the ball of the upper arm bone comes out of its normal position.

Ligaments in the shoulder too can get damaged
Photo Credit: iStock

6. Thumbs and fingers: Particularly common in sports like cricket, basketball, tennis, where fingers are heavily strained. If your thumb is out of its natural movement spiral, and your finger is bent at an awkward angle with force, it causes the ligaments on the base to get damaged. This may cause swelling, blood clots and immobilisation along with mild to severe pains.

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7. Spinal ligaments: Injuries in your back and neck are extremely common, as they are on average the most used muscles and ligament groups. Pulling of these muscles or spraining them can be caused by as much as a poor sleeping position, to something significantly serious.

Ligament tears are often extremely painful, and put individuals into extreme discomfort, almost instantly. Common treatments, varying with gradient include icing the ligament and using braces, tapes and plasters to hold them in place. In extreme cases, surgical reconstruction of the ligament may be necessary. Once initial healing is underway the doctor may recommend a certain dose of physiotherapy, to restore mobility to the ligament and bring it back to its optimal best.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.