The difference between ligament damage and tears.

Written by Wang Jing
Pediatric Orthopedics
Updated on March 12, 2025
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For doctors, the damage or tearing of ligaments actually means more or less the same thing, but for ordinary people, there always seems to be a difference between the two, feeling that the range covered by ligament damage is broader than that of ligament tearing. From a medical perspective, ligament damage is divided into four grades. The first grade is a sprain, which is a partial fiber break. The second type is a partial ligament rupture, the third type is a complete ligament rupture, and the fourth type involves a complete rupture of the ligament with damage to other parts as well. This is the four-category classification of ligament damage. Ordinary people might think that ligament tearing refers to either a partial or complete rupture of the ligament, which is the more serious kind. Therefore, though these two concepts are relatively similar in meaning, ordinary people might feel that ligament tearing is relatively more severe, consisting of either a partial or complete rupture of the ligament.

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Written by Zhang Ying Peng
Orthopedics
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What supplements are good for ligament injuries?

Patients with ligament injuries are advised to consume more foods containing high-quality protein, such as beef, eggs, and milk. However, it is not recommended to eat high-calorie, high-nutrient foods, such as sea cucumber and abalone. Ligaments are important structures that connect two bones at the joint. Once a ligament is injured, it can only recover under strict rest, which may involve immobilization with plaster casts and bed rest. After a ligament rupture, a great amount of energy is consumed during the healing process. It is crucial to balance meat and vegetables in the diet and maintain nutritional balance. It is suggested to appropriately increase the intake of high-quality protein foods, such as beef, eggs, and milk, but it is not advised to consume high-calorie, high-nutrient foods, like sea cucumber and abalone.

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Written by Wang Jing
Pediatric Orthopedics
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Are calcium tablets useful for ligament injuries?

Calcium supplements do not have a significant effect on the repair of ligament injuries. There are established principles for dealing with ligament injuries. Generally, for minor injuries, reducing movement and stabilizing the affected limb are recommended to allow the ligaments to heal on their own. In cases of severe ligament injuries, such as significant or complete tears that affect joint stability, surgical repair or reconstruction may be necessary. Of course, in the most severe cases, ligament injuries can be accompanied by fractures or other concurrent injuries. While healing fractures require calcium, and during these times the calcium from calcium supplements can serve as a source for fracture repair, typically the calcium intake from a daily diet is sufficient to meet the needs during fracture healing. Therefore, taking calcium supplements for ligament injuries does not have a significant effect.

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Written by Wang Jing
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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home-news-image
Written by Wang Jing
Pediatric Orthopedics
1min 3sec home-news-image

The difference between ligament damage and tears.

For doctors, the damage or tearing of ligaments actually means more or less the same thing, but for ordinary people, there always seems to be a difference between the two, feeling that the range covered by ligament damage is broader than that of ligament tearing. From a medical perspective, ligament damage is divided into four grades. The first grade is a sprain, which is a partial fiber break. The second type is a partial ligament rupture, the third type is a complete ligament rupture, and the fourth type involves a complete rupture of the ligament with damage to other parts as well. This is the four-category classification of ligament damage. Ordinary people might think that ligament tearing refers to either a partial or complete rupture of the ligament, which is the more serious kind. Therefore, though these two concepts are relatively similar in meaning, ordinary people might feel that ligament tearing is relatively more severe, consisting of either a partial or complete rupture of the ligament.

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Written by Guan Jing Tao
Orthopedics
1min home-news-image

Symptoms of ligament rupture

After a ligament rupture, the area will experience pain, swelling, and restricted movement, and it will not be possible to actively extend or bend. Taking the rupture of the finger extensor tendon as an example, after the rupture caused by accidental bumps or other reasons, the site exhibits pain and cannot be straightened. When passively straightened, it will flex on its own after removing the support, unable to actively extend. These are the symptoms of functional limitation after a ligament rupture. Furthermore, some patients may also experience persistent local pain and significant swelling. At this time, it is advisable to combine local hot compresses and physical therapy. For distal finger extensor tendon ruptures, hyperextension fixation can be applied. About four weeks later, if the hyperextension fixation splint or plaster is removed, some patients can heal on their own. However, if some patients cannot heal naturally, surgical anastomosis treatment is required.