Ligament
A band of fibrous tissue connecting bone to bone and stabilising a joint.
What it means
A ligament connects bone to bone, holding joints together and limiting movement to a safe range. This distinguishes it from a tendon, which connects muscle to bone.
Ligaments are strong but relatively inelastic. Forced beyond their range they stretch or tear, producing a sprain.
A sprain is a ligament injury; a strain is a muscle or tendon injury. The two words are commonly interchanged in everyday use but describe different tissues.
In practice
Sprains are graded one to three by severity, from stretching to complete rupture. The anterior cruciate ligament of the knee and the lateral ligaments of the ankle are the most frequently injured.
Why it matters
Most sprains are managed conservatively with early controlled movement rather than prolonged immobilisation.
Inability to weight-bear after an ankle or knee injury warrants assessment for fracture, and a complete ligament rupture in an active person may need surgical repair.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 30, 2026