Inside our bodies, there are Soft Tissues.
Soft Tissues are responsible for the shape and structure of our body. They protect and support our organs and basically our entire body. However, injuries happen, causing damage to our body and Soft Tissues, such as from accidents, falling, or sports. Hence, in this post, we will explore the common Soft Tissues Injuries
The common soft tissue injuries
- Muscle
- Tendon
- Ligament
Types of Muscle injuries
Distension (AKA strain or “pulled”)
Myotendinous junction (the part where the tendon and muscle connects) during a maximal eccentric (Lengthening of muscle) muscle action.
Usually, muscles are affected such as the hamstring, hip adductor and gastrocnemius. Pain is experienced immediately, tenderness is present, and reduced contractile function and swelling will be reduced.
2) Direct trauma → contusion (Bruise) of muscle.
3) Delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) – Muscle pain that occurs after working out, usually after 12-24 hours
What are Tendons
Tendons are soft tissues that connects muscle to bone. The primary functions are to transfer force from muscle to bone, produce motion and for Joint stabilisation
Types of Tendon injuries
Tendon Injuries can be both acute and chronic, depending on the severity
Rupture
Occurs when the forces applied exceeded the tendon’s tolerance or could be due to an excessive eccentric force generation. Ruptured tendon could either be a Partial or total tear
Rupture is usually seen in athletes between 30-50 years old who does “explosive” sports.
Overuse injuries such as tennis elbow, golfer elbow, Osgood-Schlatter's syndrome etc.
What are Ligaments
Ligaments are soft tissues that connect bone to bone. Their primary functions are to stabilise the joints and provide the proprioceptive function. Ligamentous injuries usually happen due to sudden overloading or stretching of ligaments (to extreme positions). Common Ligament injuries are the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear and the Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) tear
There are different classifications of ligament injury:
Mild (Grade 1)
There damage to the ligament structure at the microscopic level along with mild tenderness
Moderate (Grade 2)
The pain is more intense, with movements being more limited. Visible swelling can be seen
Severe (Grade 3)
There is significant swelling and instability at the joint with a loss of function
