Introduction
A torn ligament (synonym: rupture of the ligament) is, as the name suggests, a tear or break in a certain structure of the ligament. The ligament can be completely or only partially ruptured. Also the localization is variable, so that a rupture of the ligament is just as likely at the center as in the middle. A torn ligament is also classified by whether stability is retained after the ligament injury or whether it is lost, since it is difficult to detect more precisely on a purely microscopic level. Predisposing for a torn ligament are mainly the outer ligament of the upper ankle joint, ligaments of the knee joint as well as ligaments in the metacarpophalangeal joint and the carpal bones.
Synonyms
Medical: Fibular ligament rupture, desmorrhexis English: ruptured ligament in ankle joint
- Torn ligament in the ankle joint
- Strip rupture
- Rupture of the outer ligament
- Fibular capsular ligament rupture
- Tear of the ligamentum fibulotalare anterius /posterius
- Fibulocalcanean ligament
- OSG distortion, supination trauma
- Tape elongation
Definition
Injuries to the upper ankle joint (OSG) often occur during sports activities, but also in everyday life. Most events do not lead to serious structural damage, i.e. an injury with permanent consequences. Nevertheless, a torn ligament can occur, especially in the area of the outer ankle (see: Torn ligament of the ankle). When the ankle joint is examined by the doctor, it is hardly possible to distinguish them from ligament stretching or partial or complete torn ligaments. The transition is fluid.
Frequency
Damage to the outer ligaments of the ankle joint is one of the most common sports injuries and thus one of the most common injuries of all. Torn ligaments are the most common reason why a patient comes to the outpatient clinic for accident surgery.
Causes of torn ligament
The most common cause of a torn ligament in the foot or knee is external violence. The forces that are transferred to a ligament structure are so great that the maximum stretch tolerance is exceeded and the ligament can tear. Unlucky movements can also cause a torn ligament.
Typical movements in which one bends with the foot and a torn ligament occurs are jerky changes of direction and twisting movements on slippery ground. Here, too, the tight ligaments of the connective tissue cannot withstand the force applied. In principle, the ligaments of our body have the task of ensuring stability and preventing movements above a certain physiological level, especially in joint regions.
If this degree of mobility is exceeded, the ligaments tear. Old, untrained and damaged ligament structures are generally particularly susceptible. Joint injuries, which also include torn ligaments, mainly affect those joints that have a long lever arm, such as the knee joint.
The reason for this is that the effects of force due to compression or buckling can unfold earlier and more easily. In principle, the impact of force can affect muscular, bony and ligamentous structures. Depending on whether it is a joint secured by muscle, bone or ligament, the forces have a preferential effect on the respective structure.
Injuries to the capsule and ligament apparatus are mainly caused by sudden and severe overstretching. This event is summarized under the term “capsular ligament injury”. In the worst case, the ligament is torn off completely, but stretching or pulling is also possible. It is also typical that a torn ligament is accompanied by a rupture of the capsular ligament.
