What is a sprain? A sprain is an injury that happens when one of your ligaments is stretched or torn. A sprain is a stretching or tearing of ligaments — the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect two bones together in your joints.

Understanding the Context

The most common location for a sprain is in your ankle. A sprain is a soft tissue injury of the ligaments within a joint, often caused by a sudden movement abruptly forcing the joint to exceed its functional range of motion. What is a sprain? A sprain is an injury to ligaments, the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect bones to one another at a joint.

Key Insights

Normally, ligaments stabilize a joint, keep the joint's bones aligned and limit the motion of a joint to the normal range. What Is a Sprain or Strain? Doctors define a sprain as a condition where one or more of the ligaments in your joint are damaged or torn. Ligaments connect the bones to your joints. When damaged, your joint may become unstable, and you also may experience pain and inflammation.

Final Thoughts

Definition A sprain is an injury to the ligaments around a joint. Ligaments are strong, flexible fibers that hold bones together. When a ligament is stretched too far or tears, the area around the joint will become painful and swell. A sprain is a stretch and/or tear of a ligament, a strong band of connective tissue that connects the end of one bone with another. Ligaments stabilize and support the body's joints. A sprain is caused by an injury that stresses a joint and overstretches or even ruptures its supporting ligaments.

In a mild sprain, a ligament is stretched but the joint remains stable and is not loosened. A moderate sprain partially tears the ligament, causing the joint to be unstable. Is it a sprain, strain or tear? Learn how to tell It’s common to sprain or strain different parts of your body from sudden movements or overuse.