Although joint sprains are generally seen during sports and exercise activities, they are also common injuries in daily life. Sprain is the excessive stretching or even tearing of structures such as ligaments, joint capsule and tendons around the joint as a result of straining the joint beyond its physiological range of motion. Ankle, knee and wrist are the most commonly sprained joints in the body. Ankle sprain usually occurs as a result of the foot turning inward, a knee sprain as a result of the knee turning around itself, and a wrist sprain as a result of falling on the hand. Joint sprains are examined in three degrees.
In first-degree injuries, there is only a stretching injury in the tissues around the joint such as ligaments, joint capsule and tendon, and there is no real tear. This type of sprain has happened to almost everyone at least once in their life. It causes mild pain and symptoms that disappear in a short time and does not require any special treatment. It is sufficient to keep the athlete away from activity for a few days. Simple bandages or ankle braces are used to reduce the risk of recurrent sprains. In second-degree injuries, partial tears occur in tissues such as ligaments, joint capsule and tendon around the ankle. In this case, a slight looseness occurs in the joint. The clinical appearance is more striking and there is swelling, bruising and pain. Third degree joint sprains are quite severe and the tissues around the joint are completely torn. This situation causes serious looseness in the joint. While first degree sprains can be easily distinguished clinically, it is necessary to use MRI from time to time to distinguish second and third degree sprains. As the first treatment for all sprains, the basic principle is to rest the joint with ice application, bandage or similar devices. Depending on the severity of the injury, joint rest and fixation methods are applied for up to 2-3 weeks, and then rehabilitation programs are started. Rehabilitation is of great importance in preventing recurrent sprains and healing injured tissues. Surgical methods are also used in recurrent sprains and sometimes third-degree ligament injuries.
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