Injuries to your joints and ligaments can occur during sports and physical activities. They can also occur during routine daily activities. Some of the most common injuries, and their symptoms, experienced by patients are listed below. Click on each one to learn more about them.

Contusions (Bruises)
Fracture
Osteoarthritis
Sprains
Strains
Stress Fracture

Contusions (Bruises) – Contusions occur when the skin or underlying tissues are bruised, usually from a bump or fall.  The black and blue color is caused when blood leaks into the tissues under the skin.

Symptoms:

1. Swelling, pain, or tenderness
2. Discoloration under the skin
3. Severe bruising with swelling and pain may indicate a sprain or fracture

Fracture - The main categories of fractures are complete, incomplete, compound and simple.  The severity of a fracture is usually dependent upon how much outside force is applied to the bones involved.  A complete fracture involves the bone snapping into two or more parts.  An incomplete fracture means the bone cracks but does not break all the way through.  A compound fracture (open fracture) occurs when the bone breaks through the skin.  In a simple fracture (closed fracture) the bone breaks but does not break through the skin.

Symptoms:

1. Severe pain
2. Difficult or impossible to use affected body part
3. Bruising
4. Swelling

Osteoarthritis – Osteoarthritis (OA), or Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), is the most common type of arthritis.  It can occur in almost any joint in the body and is associated with the breakdown of cartilage.  Cartilage is a smooth, elastic tissue that covers the ends of the bones that form a joint.  Cartilage allows them to glide easily and without pain.  As OA progresses, the cartilage gradually wears away and reduces the ability to act as a shock absorber between bones.  This can cause tendons and ligaments to stretch and eventually the bones can rub together causing discomfort and pain.  OA usually develops in middle-aged and older patients after many years of use, but can also occur with risk factors such as obesity, injury to a joint, or a family history of the disease.

Symptoms:

1. Aching and soreness in the joint
2. Increased pain after overuse or inactivity
3. Joint swelling or bony enlargements
4. Stiffness or loss of motion in the affected joint

Sprains – A sprain is a partial or complete tear of a ligament.  Ligaments connect the end of bones together and stabilize joints.  They allow the joint to move in specific directions.  Sprains commonly occur with twisting or falling injuries.

Symptoms:

1. A popping or snapping sound at time of injury
2. Joint instability
3. Pain with weight bearing (if a lower extremity)
4. Loss of motion in the affected joint

Strains – A strain is a partial or complete tear of a muscle or tendon.  Muscles are attached on each side of a joint to bone by tendons.  As a muscle contracts, it shortens and pulls on the tendon, allowing the joint to go through a range of motion.  A strain may be a simple stretch in a muscle or tendon, or it may be a partial or complete tear in the muscle-tendon unit.  Strains most commonly occur when a muscle is overused or stretched.

Symptoms:

1. Pain and inflammation
2. Limited motion
3. Muscle spasms or weakness

Stress Fracture – Stress fractures are tiny breaks in the bone.  They occur when fatigued muscles are unable to absorb added stress and this overload is transferred to the bone, or when a bone is deficient in minerals and cracks under the stress of routine activities.  Most of these injuries occur in the foot or lower leg.  Stress fractures are one of the most common sports injuries – particularly in sports that include running or weight bearing on hard surfaces. 

Symptoms:

1. Pain with weight bearing
2. Localized tenderness of the affected body part
3. Swelling
   

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