What Are Ligaments?

The ligament is made up of dense connective tissue.

The ligament is made up of dense connective tissue.

Chinese name

ligament

Foreign name

ligament

Explanation

Ligaments are dense connective tissue

Classification

Elastic connective tissue and dense connective tissue

Nature

Flexible, fibrous dense connective tissue

Function

Limiting the range of bone movement to avoid injury

Classification of ligaments

Extracapsular ligaments located around the joint cavity. The intracapsular ligament located in the joint cavity. Located on the joint capsule, that is, the thickened part of the joint capsule fiber layer is called the joint capsule ligament. Another type of ligament is formed by peritoneal folds, which is formed by migration between the peritoneal wall layer and the visceral layer or between the peritoneal visceral layer and the visceral layer. This ligament is formed by a single layer of peritoneum, and some are formed by a double layer of peritoneum.

Ligament action

The main components of the ligament are collagen fibers and elastic fibers. Collagen fibers make the ligaments have a certain strength and stiffness, while elastic fibers give the ligaments the ability to extend under load. Most fibers of the ligament are arranged almost parallel, so their functions are more specific, and they often only bear the load in one direction. Because the ligaments are very tough, they can strengthen the stability of the bones, keep the internal organs in a normal position, and limit their range of motion. The main ligaments in the human body are the cruciate ligament of the knee, the inguinal ligament, the coracoid ligament, the radial collateral ligament of the elbow, and the ulnar collateral ligament. Some ligaments are remnants of embryonic organs. For example, arterial ligaments are closed by fetal arterial ducts, and hepatic round ligaments are formed by umbilical vein atrophy.

Ligament ligament injury

Ligaments are thickened portions of the fibrous joint capsule, but some are separated from the joint capsule. Damage can be caused when violent, and the milder is a sprained ligament. Caused by excessive stretch of the ligament or partial fiber break. It manifests as pain, tenderness, swelling in varying degrees, and restricted movement. No abnormality was found on X-ray examination. In severe cases, the ligament was broken, sometimes with joint sprain, avulsion fracture, or joint dislocation. It manifests as pain, obvious swelling, congestion, joint effusion or hematoma, and markedly restricted movement. X-ray film showed uneven width of joint cavity. Ligament strain can use local braking, physiotherapy or closure. Complete ligament rupture usually requires surgery, and some fresh closed ruptures can be treated with plaster.

Ligament related diseases and treatment

The knee joint is one of the most vulnerable joints in the human body. The stability of the knee joint is mainly maintained by a series of structures inside and outside the knee joint, including bony structures, extra-articular structures, and intra-articular structures; bony structures mainly include the patella and femur Distal and tibial condyles; the medial and lateral quadruplexes in the extra-articular structure are considered to be the main stabilizing structure of the knee joint. The posterior oblique ligament of the lateral joint capsule is composed of multiple ligament injuries of the knee joint. Generally, two or more of the four major ligaments of the knee joint are damaged, resulting in severe knee instability and dysfunction, which are often accompanied by Vascular and nerve damage, clinical treatment is relatively complicated.

Anterior cruciate ligament injury combined with medial and lateral collateral ligament injury of the knee joint is a relatively serious sports injury, which can cause severe knee instability and dysfunction, increase the possibility of cartilage damage, and also easily cause knee osteoarthritis. , Ligament reconstruction has become a recognized surgical method.

Ligament sprains are divided into 3 degrees according to the severity: degree is a tear of a small amount of ligament fiber with local tenderness but no joint instability; degree has more ligament breaks, with mild to moderate joint instability; degree It is a complete rupture of the ligament, thus producing significant joint instability. Grade III injuries usually require surgery.