Ligament injuries should be seen by the orthopedics department.

Written by Wang Jing
Pediatric Orthopedics
Updated on September 10, 2024
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Ligament injuries are often a type of sports injury; therefore, when a ligament injury occurs, the first choice is usually a department of sports medicine. However, many hospitals do not have a sports medicine department. In such cases, ligament injuries are generally treated under orthopedic surgery. If the hospital does not have a sports medicine department, you can visit the orthopedic surgery department. If there is no orthopedic surgery department either, and it is just a general orthopedics clinic, you can go to the orthopedics clinic. Of course, if it is a smaller hospital without a specialized orthopedics clinic, you can visit the surgery department or the emergency surgery department. After some initial treatment, you may need to visit a more specialized hospital for further medical attention.

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Can ankle ligament injuries heal by themselves?

Ankle ligament sprains vary in prognosis depending on the severity of the injury. This type of ligament damage generally falls into several categories: the first type is partial fiber damage to the ligament, the second type is partial rupture of the ligament, the third type is complete rupture of the ligament, and the fourth type includes additional injuries. For partial fiber damage and partial ruptures of the ligament, immobilization is often used, and generally after six to eight weeks, the ligament can repair itself. However, if there is a complete rupture of the ligament or additional injuries are involved, surgery is often required for healing.

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Post-symptoms of knee ligament injury

The knee joint has four crucial ligaments: the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments. They act like four pillars, firmly anchoring the knee joint in a very stable and normal position. If any of these ligaments rupture, this balance is disrupted, causing the knee to move abnormally in a certain direction, leading to increased local wear and tear or compensatory wear in other parts. Therefore, if ligament damage is not repaired, and the balance is disrupted, it can lead to many complications or sequelae. The first is traumatic arthritis. The second is patellar chondromalacia. The third is meniscus damage. The fourth is damage to other ligaments, or even rupture. The fifth is knee arthritis, also known as OA, or degenerative changes. The sixth is knee effusion and synovitis. Thus, the sequelae of knee ligament injuries are numerous and troublesome.

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Pediatric Orthopedics
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Can a ligament injury cause the knee to make noise?

Whether the knee will make noise after ligament damage depends on the condition of the ligament damage. If it is an anterior cruciate ligament injury, generally the knee will not make noise. However, if the anterior cruciate ligament injury is combined with damage to the meniscus or cartilage, forming loose bodies, popping noises in the knee joint can occur. If there is damage to the medial or lateral collateral ligaments of the knee joint, which causes instability in the knee joint, this can also lead to popping sounds. If instability of the patella is caused by damage to the patellar ligament of the knee joint, changes in the alignment of the patellar joint during movement can also cause popping noises in the knee joint.

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What should I do if the ligaments in the knee joint are injured?

Knee ligament injuries first require us to determine which ligament is damaged. The injury mechanism can help determine which ligament is affected, such as an inversion or eversion injury of the knee, which could cause damage to the medial or lateral collateral ligaments of the knee. Sometimes, knee flexion and rotation injuries may damage the cruciate ligaments of the knee. Once the specific ligament is identified, the extent of the injury must be determined. If the injury is minor, such as a contusion, rest may allow the ligament to gradually recover. If there is a tear, but the knee joint is still stable, conservative treatment can be pursued; however, if there is a tear and the knee joint is unstable, or if the ligament is completely ruptured, we recommend surgical repair to restore the stability of the knee joint.

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What medicine is good for ligament injury?

Ligament injuries first require assessment of whether the damage is acute or chronic before considering medications. For acute ligament injuries, there are key principles to follow. First, the injured area must rest and the joint should no longer be active. Second, immediately apply cold compresses. The temperature of the ice-water mixture touching the skin should be between 4℃ to 10℃. Apply the cold compress for about 10 to 15 minutes, generally not exceeding 20 minutes. If there is severe swelling, you can continue to apply cold compresses two hours later. Then, elevate the patient's limb and apply compression bandaging to the injured site, which forms the treatment principles for acute ligament injuries. For chronic ligament injuries, different situations require different approaches. For ligament injuries that do not affect joint stability, some topical medications can be used. This can include traditional Chinese medicines or anti-inflammatory and analgesic patches, which mainly improve local blood circulation and reduce local chronic inflammation. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)