What is an overstretched cruciate ligament?
The human body has two cruciate ligaments in the knee joint, the anterior and posterior, which are responsible, among other things, for stabilization and rotation in the knee. A distinction is therefore made between anterior and posterior overstretching of the cruciate ligaments. Usually, however, only one of the two is affected. A stretching of the cruciate ligament is a typical injury in athletes. Overstretching means that the ligament is stretched beyond its original length, causing the joint surfaces to be levered apart for a short time without the ligament tearing or the skin being injured.
Causes
The most common cause of cruciate ligament hyperextension is sports. Especially sports like soccer, handball, tennis, badminton and skiing, where rapid changes of direction and rotational movements with strong shearing forces occur, it is a typical injury. If, for example, a foot gets caught in a ski boot or on the lawn and the knee turns at the same time, the cruciate ligament is stretched beyond its elastic limit. In addition, ligament stretching can also be caused by an external force, for example, when the knee is hit or kicked. In rare cases, the cruciate ligament can also be overstretched in everyday life as a result of accidents or injuries.
These symptoms indicate an overstretched cruciate ligament
Overstretching of the cruciate ligament is often described as strain. It usually occurs in connection with a sports accident, and overstretching of the ligament without external influence is rather unlikely. Typical signs are pain and swelling in the knee.
However, there are no injuries to the skin or the joint, so the stability in the knee remains the same. Therefore, it is still possible to put weight on the knee, although this is associated with movement-related pain. This is important when distinguishing it from a torn ligament, as normal joint stability is no longer given.
The pain associated with overstretching the cruciate ligament is typically load-dependent, i.e. it rarely occurs at rest. However, even a slight occurrence with the leg can lead to pain. In addition, the pain occurs suddenly, i.e. immediately after the injury. They are often felt as pressing or cutting and are limited to the knee joint. If pain also occurs at rest and over a longer period of time, a doctor should be consulted, as a torn cruciate ligament or other injury to the knee joint may have to be assumed.
