Ligament Injuries

Ligament injuries affect joint movement and stability and take time to heal. The sports medicine specialists at Breakthrough Regenerative Orthopedics in Boulder and Centennial, Colorado, take a progressive approach to ligament injuries, offering nonsurgical and minimally invasive treatments for a faster recovery. Call the office today or schedule an appointment with the experts using the online booking button.

What are ligament injuries exactly?

Ligament injuries are caused by overstretching a ligament. Ligaments are found all over your body and connect one bone to another. Ligaments are strong and have some give, allowing movement of the bones in a joint.

If you overextend a joint, you stretch the ligament beyond its capacity, injuring it. The three types of ligament injuries are:

• Grade 1 tear: mild stretching
• Grade 2 tear: moderate stretching with some tearing
• Grade 3 tear: complete tear of the ligament

A sprain is a ligament injury. How severe the sprain is determines its grade.

I twisted my knee, and it hurt. Could I have a ligament injury?

Ligament injuries, specifically anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tearing, are common causes of knee pain. But you can develop knee pain for many reasons, including meniscus tears and arthritis.

Other ligament injuries include:

• Sprained ankle
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear — a knee injury
• Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) tear — a knee injury
• Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear — an elbow injury
• Shoulder instability following dislocation
• Finger or thumb sprain
• Whiplash — a neck injury

When you sprain a ligament, you’ll often feel sudden and severe pain at the site of the injury, and you might hear or feel a pop. You could then develop swelling in the area and have difficulty using the affected body part.

When should I see a sports medicine expert for ligament injuries?

You should seek help from the sports medicine specialists at Breakthrough Regenerative Orthopedics for any ligament injury. Your injury doesn’t have to be sports related.

Your provider asks detailed questions about your symptoms and how they started. They examine the affected body part and could order diagnostic imaging to confirm a ligament sprain and its severity.

Which treatments for ligament injuries are available?

Breakthrough Regenerative Orthopedics customizes your ligament injury treatment based on where your sprain is and how much damage was done. They take an innovative and progressive approach to care, offering nonsurgical and minimally invasive treatments.

Treatments for ligament injuries can include:

• Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE)
• Bracing or splinting
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Nutritional supplements to ease inflammation
• Physical therapy
• Prolotherapy
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
• Stem cells

All injections at Breakthrough Regenerative Orthopedics are done using state-of-the-art, ultrasound-guided imaging. 

Call Breakthrough Regenerative Orthopedics today or schedule your ligament injury appointment online.