WHAT ARE LIGAMENTOUS INJURIES – SPRAINS
A sprain is an injury to the ligaments, the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect bones to each other at joints and give them stability. It usually occurs when the joint is forced into an unnatural position, due to a fall, sprain or blow. It generates pain, instability, frequent inflammation and hinders or even prevents movement in the affected joint.
TYPES:
The most common is the ankle sprain:
– Ankle: in almost all cases it affects the external lateral ligaments. It is much less common that it affects the internal ligaments, or the combination of internal and external.
– Wrist: the most common is the scapho-semilunar ligament.
– Knee: the anterior cruciate ligament is very common.
Clinically they are classified:
– Grade I: Stretching without rupture. It presents with moderate pain, with very slight loss of joint function, little or no inflammation and some alteration in local sensitivity with normal mobility on examination.
– Grade II: Partial rupture. It produces pain with loss of function, joint instability and inflammation.
– Grade III: Total rupture It is very painful and presents with great instability and inflammation.
SOME DATA ON THE PREVALENCE OF THIS PATHOLOGY
12% of injuries seen in the Emergency Services are ankle sprains.
Ankle sprain is the most common sports injury: 20-30% of cases.
Every year 1 in 3,000 people suffer a torn ligament.
Approximately 17,000 ligament surgeries are performed annually in Spain.
50% of injuries occur in young people between 15 and 25 years of age.
PREDISPOSING FACTORS TO SUFFER THIS PATHOLOGY
Age: over the years the stiffness of the joint and the risk of injuring it increase.
Overweight: especially in the knees and ankles, it favors ligamentous injuries.
Intensity and speed of sports activity: especially in soccer and basketball for ankle or knee sprains, skiing for thumb sprains, etc.
After vacation periods or after long sports inactivity: the lack of physical activity increases the stiffness of the joint, making it more vulnerable. On the contrary, physical exercise strengthens and makes the joints more resistant.
Functional valgus: for knee sprain.
Tubigrip Elasticated Tubular Bandage provides tissue support in the treatment of strains and sprains, soft tissue injuries and ribcage injuries.
And it provide comfortable compression and effective tissue support.
Tubigrip tube bandages require no pins or tapes.
