Rehabilitation is slowly progressed as the ligament repairs and a gradual return to normal activities can occur. Depending upon the ligament injury full level of activity can take 3 to 4 months or even up to 12 months. Very severe ligament injuries can even take longer.
Regeneration of ligaments and tendons is a slow process, compared with the healing of other connective tissues (e.g., bone). Healing starts from the surrounding soft tissues ("extrinsic healing"), but also from the ligament or tendon itself ("intrinsic healing").
If the ligament is only mildly sprained, it may heal in just two to four weeks. Moderate ligament sprains can take over 10 weeks to heal. If a ligament is very seriously injured, you should expect your recovery to take between six and 12 months to heal completely.
The only caveat is the recovery time as ligaments and tendons lack blood vessels and have a low blood supply. Most nutrients come from the surrounding fluid at the joint. So the healing time can take weeks or even months compared to a muscle injury.
In case of ligament sprain or rupture, doctors generally will recommend using the knee normally. Walking should not cause any more damage. However, make sure to walk with your heel down first. In the case of recovering patients, gradually increase the activity duration.
It's been shown that tendon and ligaments degrade slightly as a result of training and then regenerate to regain homeostasis and strengthen slightly during the recovery period (see Figure below).
Long-term prognosis after tearing a ligament
Level 1 and level 2 sprains will often be fully recovered within three to eight weeks, meaning you should be able to return to your normal activities and have full mobility in that time.
In many cases, injuries to tendon and ligaments such as common sprains and strains heal without surgical intervention. However, the process is often slow and results in the formation of inferior scar tissue, which can take years to remodel into more functional tissue.
This is your body's healing phase. You will know when this phase is over because the injured area does not hurt and you no longer have restricted range of motion in the area. You will know when this phase is not complete because you may still pain pain, swelling, and some restricted movement.
Multiple studies have shown that using NSAIDs can slow the healing of broken bones, damaged ligaments, and other tissues. If you are trying to heal the damage done to a knee, shoulder or other joint, using NSAIDs can significantly lengthen the healing time.
Ligaments heal through a distinct sequence of cellular events that occur through three consecutive phases: the acute inflammatory phase, the proliferative or regenerative phase, and the tissue remodeling phase. Ligament healing is often slow and incomplete.
Ligaments attach bones to other bones. They generally have a more limited blood supply than either muscle or tendon – lengthening their healing time.
Mouth wounds heal faster than injuries to other parts of the skin, and now scientists are learning how the mouth performs its speedy repairs. Some master regulators of gene activity work overtime in the mouth to heal wounds without scarring, researchers report July 25 in Science Translational Medicine.
For minor tears with microscopic damage, it may take up to 6 weeks for a full recovery as long as you don't do anything to perpetuate the injury (i.e., like exercising before your doctor clears you to do so). Obviously, the more severe the tear, the longer it will take to recover, especially if surgery is required.
Even after one year, the structure and function of the resulting tissue remain inferior to uninjured tendons. The healing response is predicable, and is traditionally divided into three overlapping stages – (1) inflammation, (2) proliferation/repair, and (3) remodeling (Hope and Saxby, 2007).
If the MCL or ACL tears, the result is usually pain, swelling, stiffness, and instability. In most cases, the injured person can still walk with the torn knee ligament. But the movement will be severely limited, not to mention painful. Surgery may be the best route to a pain-free life, with amazing success rates.
X-rays do NOT show tendons, ligaments, nerves, cartilage or blood vessels. X-rays typically show bones and joints, and may, at times, show the absence of skin (e.g. infection).
It depends on the grade of the sprain. Grade 1 and grade 2 ligament injuries can heal themselves. But they will take time. They need proper care and doctor's supervision for better and quick healing.
A torn ligament can result in varying degrees of pain and discomfort, depending on the extent of the injury. It may produce heat, extensive inflammation, popping or cracking noises, severe pain, instability within the joint and an inability to put weight or pressure on the joint.
Besides in junction strength, training results in heavier ligaments and higher ligament weight/length ratios.
While ligamentous laxity may be genetic and affect an individual from a very early age, it can also be the result of an injury. Injuries, especially those involving the joints, invariably damage ligaments either by stretching them abnormally or even tearing them.