What is a knee ligament injury?
The ligaments around the knee are strong. However, sometimes they can become injured. They may be stretched (sprained), or sometimes torn (ruptured). A ligament rupture can be partial (just some of the fibres that make up the ligament are torn) or complete (the ligament is torn through completely). The majority of knee ligament injuries are sprains and not tears and they tend to settle down quickly.
There are a number of different things that can cause injury to the ligaments in your knee:
You may have a direct blow to your knee or knock into something with your knee.
Your knee may be moved outside of its usual range of movement. For example, this can happen during a fall, if you land awkwardly during sport, or after a sudden movement.