How to know if you tore ligaments in your knee?

Have you ever been going about your day, minding your own business, when suddenly your knee gives out and you’re left wondering what the heck just happened? If so, you might have torn a ligament. But how can you tell for sure? Here are some signs and symptoms of a torn ligament in the knee that you’ll definitely want to pay attention to.

The Basics: What Is a Ligament?

Before we dive into how to identify a torn ligament, let’s make sure we all know what a ligament is. A ligament is tough connective tissue that connects bones together at joints. In the case of the knee joint, there are four main ligaments:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
• Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL)
• Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)

Each of these plays an important role in keeping your knee stable and preventing it from wobbling around like an amateur tightrope walker.

Signs and Symptoms

Now that you know what a ligament is and where they’re located in the knee joint, here are some signs and symptoms that could indicate a tear:

Sudden Pain

If you’ve ever experienced sudden pain after twisting or bending awkwardly while playing sports (or maybe while doing absolutely nothing) then brace yourself for this news: It may be due to tearing one or more of the aforementioned four major knee’s ligs!

Swelling

Swelling is caused by inflammation as part of your body’s natural healing process. When there’s swelling around the affected area start preparing yourself mentally – because swollen means lame!

Bruising

Bruising isn’t always present with an ACL tear—but it often accompanies other types of soft tissue injuries, such as collateral ligament or meniscus tears. When you’ll worry about swelling and even in worst-case scenarios, look for any discoloration too!

Difficulty Walking

If your knee is torn badly enough that walking normally becomes difficult—please consult a specialist immediately; the longer it stays that way, the worse it can get.

The Lachman Test

The doctor will ask some history regarding getting an ACL injury followed by physical examination to confirm it. One common test used by doctors to assess possible ACL injuries is called the Lachman test. Basically, they try to pull your tibia forward relative to your femur while keeping your thigh stabilized(we know thats kinda confusing-y—the doc is good at this).

If there’s abnormal movement (i.e., excessive laxity) between these two bones when they’re pulled on during this exam—whoa-hoo—you might have an ACL tear.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

While you may think of MRI sounds like something out of a futuristic sci-fi movie— in modern times MRI from years past that if there’s no difference felt on examination but still pain persists then moving onto MRIs would be suggested by experts / medical professionals Seeing as X-ray —which gives only plain bone image —might not show anything With depleting medical imaging centers all around—it’s not always advisable though since they’re quite expensive scanners..

In Conclusion,

Hopefully you won’t need any info mentioned above sometimes our body just wants us back off from going too hard in sports or maybe take some rest we’d avoid all type of accidents injurious-to-health stuff. Remember: If you’ve got sudden pain accompanied by any other symptoms listed above – please don’t ignore them! Always see a professional so they can examine you properly and give you the right course-of-action recovering depends on timely treatment!

Dane Raynor

Hey there, I’m Dane Raynor, and I’m all about sharing fascinating knowledge, news, and hot topics. I’m passionate about learning and have a knack for simplifying complex ideas. Let’s explore together!