Sprain refers to an injury of ligaments and capsules and should not be confused with the strain which refers to an injury to muscles and their tendons. These terms should not be used interchangeably.
Location
Knee, ankle and acromioclavicular joints are the most common location of the ligamentous sprain.
Grading
Some authors classify sprain into the following grades
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grade 1
stretching +/- minimal tearing (no macroscopic rupture)
heals completely without any instability
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grade 2
larger but incomplete tearing/partially disrupted fibres
leads to the weakened ligament which predisposes to the recurrent injuries
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grade 3
complete tearing/rupture
leads to chronic joint instability
Radiographic features
The imaging modalities for the diagnostic workup and grading of the sprain are ultrasound and MRI which show following features:
thickened and hypoechoic ligament with an area of discontinuity in the fibres
oedema along the injured ligament
haemorrhage
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