How do Ligaments Work?
Today, I just want to highlight some of the basics related to ligaments. We’re going to go over what a ligament is, what it does, how it functions and helps provide, just as an overview.
Beginning with the fact that ligaments are dense bundles of parallel fibers that connect one bone to another. Ordinarily, this would be in the joints. Where the bones come together in the joints, the ligaments would be part of the joint capsule.
Although they are not always in the joint, they sometimes connect directly to the bones and other nearby bones as well. Ordinarily, they are part of the joints. Dense bundles of parallel fibers that connect one bone to another.
Now, ligaments do not contract like muscles. They are not there to provide a movement or muscles. Their job is a passive strengthening and supporting of the joints. Ligaments are a passive way to strengthen and support joints.
They do not contract nor provide the same sort of things that a muscle fiber would provide to the body. Ligaments also contain nerves. These nerves are especially sensitive to position and speed of movement.
Position and speed of movement. We need this sort of feedback as we’re moving around and doing various things. It’s good to have that kind of neurological feedback. Along with that, it also protects us.
If the joints are moved too rapidly or in inappropriate angles or ways, it introduces pain. This pain actually is helpful in preventing us from doing things that would seriously damage our body. The pain is there to say, “Hey, don’t go that direction. Don’t move that fast. Don’t do this with this particular joint.”
The nerves are there to help us in positive ways, but also negatively to prevent serious injury. Ligaments are fully capable of rupture if they are placed under violent stress.
That’s just been a basic overview of ligaments, these dense bundles of parallel fibers in the joints connecting one bone to another. They don’t contract like muscles. It is a passive strengthening and supporting role in the body.
They do contain nerves that are sensitive to position and speed of movement, both providing a positive feedback for us and also negative feedback in the form of pain to prevent us from truly harming ourselves.
If enough stress is placed on ligaments, they can indeed be ruptured (ask most snow skiers). Back in the day, before they got good, boot releases there and they can all talk about having a tumble, ripping the ligaments in their knee, and needing some form of surgery. Anyway that’s the overview on ligaments.