Question

The over-stretching of tendons and ligaments is called as
A) Tonus
B) Tetany
C) Sprain
D) Fatigue

Answer 1

Hint: A tendon helps in movement of the bone or the structure and a ligament holds the structures together and keeps them stable.

Complete answer:
A tendon is a band of fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It is tough and elastic and can withstand tension. Each muscle has one tendon. Their strength and the ability to bear great stresses produced by muscular contraction is attributed to the structure and composition of the tendon fibers.
A ligament is a fibrous band of connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. They are elastic and each joint has many ligaments. There are two main types of ligaments: white ligament which is rich in collagenous fibers and is solid and inelastic; yellow ligament, rich in elastic fibers which are tough and also allow elastic movements.
Both tendons and ligaments are made up of collagen and are an integral part of all higher organisms.
Overstretching or tearing of tendons results in strain. Leg, foot, and back are the common areas affected by this. It causes pain and swelling and cramps in the muscles.
When a ligament is overstretched or torn, it results in a sprain. A sprain usually results from a fall, awkward movement, or a blow. They commonly occur in the ankle, knee, or wrist. The symptoms include pain, swelling, and bruising. An actual sprain is caused when the joint is forced beyond its functional range of motion. The collagen fibers in the ligaments are found in many different organizational patterns (parallel, oblique, spiral, etc.) depending on the function of the joint. The collagen fibers have about a 4% elastic zone where the fibers can stretch out with increased load on the joint. Exceeding this limit causes the rupture of fibers leading to a sprain.

Hence, the correct answer is option C, ‘Sprain’.

Note:Ligaments adapt to training by increasing the cross-sectional area of fibers whereas immobilized ligament can weaken up. Thus, normal daily activity is important for maintaining about 80-90% of the mechanical properties of a ligament.