How to treat ligament injuries?

Ligament injuries are actually very common among athletes, because the intensity of exercise may cause the ligaments to be stretched beyond the maximum limit, which can cause ligament injuries. Ligament injuries can also be divided into many types, such as ligament sprain and ligament tear. The only difference between the two is the degree of injury. When it comes to the treatment of ligament injuries, it actually depends on the type. A torn ligament may require surgery to repair, while a sprained ligament may only require the patient to rest and receive care.

Ligament injury is an injury caused by varying degrees of damage to the ligaments in a certain part of the body. Partial injury is called sprain, and complete fracture may tear off the bone at its attachment site and even cause subluxation or total dislocation. The clinical manifestations are local swelling, pain, tenderness or joint instability, and the pain is aggravated by pulling in a violent direction. Inadequate treatment may result in unstable or traumatic arthritis. The principles of treatment are accurate diagnosis, early treatment, and comprehensive repair. Some injuries can be repaired directly, but severe cases require repair by transferring adjacent tendons, ligaments, and other tissues.

Causes

Vigorous exercise (30%):

Ligament injuries are certainly more likely to occur during strenuous exercise, such as college sports competitions, dancing, and acrobatics, but even in daily life, accidents such as car accidents and falls from heights can cause similar injuries.

External factors (35%):

When non-physiological movement in a certain direction occurs, the ligaments that limit the movement of the knee joint in that direction will inevitably bear the brunt. When the knee joint is externally rotated and abducted in the flexed position and is subjected to violence from the outside, the medial capsular ligament and medial collateral ligament are mainly damaged. In severe cases, the anterior cruciate ligament and medial meniscus may also be involved. This is the most common mode of injury. When the knee joint is in extension, adduction, and internal rotation, violence from the front causes hyperextension, which often injures the lateral structure and posterior cruciate ligament. In severe cases, it can cause damage to the common peroneal nerve, sometimes accompanied by tibial condyle fracture. When the tibia is suddenly and violently displaced backward or forward in the flexed knee position, it will cause rupture of the posterior cruciate ligament, anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament. Ligament injuries of the knee are common in football, basketball, ice skaters, and porters.

Treatment of ligament injuries

1. Partial rupture: There is no blood accumulation in the joint. The X-ray in the valgus position shows that the medial joint space is not large. Local closure and elastic bandage pressure dressing can be performed. Early quadriceps exercise can be performed or the ankle long leg plaster brace can be used to fix the knee in varus and slightly flexed position for 3-4 weeks. After the plaster is completely dry, quadriceps exercise and walking can be started.

2. Complete rupture: In principle, surgical treatment should be performed. If the ligament is ruptured, it can be sutured directly; if the bone attachment is torn, it can be fixed with wire penetration or directly sutured to the periosteum and soft tissue. If there is avulsed bone fragment, fix it with wire or screws. If combined with meniscus damage, it should be removed. Patients with combined anterior cruciate ligament injury should be repaired first. Postoperative plaster fixation for 4-6 weeks.

3. Old injuries: Actively and persistently perform quadriceps exercises to increase joint stability. If the joints remain unstable after active exercise, surgical repair can be performed. The medial collateral ligament is replaced by the fascia lata or the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons. Injuries to the lateral collateral ligament are rare and rarely require surgery.