Soft-tissue injuries are injuries to your muscles, tendon, skin, and ligaments. These can occur due to sudden movement or extreme pressure on your ankle. A soft-tissue injury doesn’t cause a fracture, nor does it cause any severe injury that might affect your movement. Although soft-tissue injuries are not a cause of concern, it’s best to see an orthopedic surgeon in Mulund and get an X-ray to ensure your hard tissues are intact. Here are the different types of soft-tissue injuries you should know.
Types of Soft-Tissue Injuries
Mostly, people get skin injuries like abrasions and lacerations. These are all called open-wound injuries. Minor cuts and bruises can be fixed with topicals and antibiotics, but a severe cut might require sutures to prevent blood loss and ensure quick healing.
Contusions are different. They might not cause blood loss, but the blood is trapped within the tissues. Your tissues swell as a result. This might constrict your blood vessels and affect the blood flow to surrounding tissues.
Sprains occur when your ligaments are torn due to sudden and awkward twisting, turning, or rolling of your ankle. Mild sprains are treatable with home remedies, but if your ankle is severely sprained, you may need to see a doctor. Sprain doesn’t cause blood loss, but the injury to your ligaments is so severe that it might affect your mobility.
Strains are injuries caused by muscle overuse. There is no specific trauma or an accident that might lead to the onset of strains, but applying excess pressure to your knee joints, ankle, and other soft tissues can cause strain. If these tissues are stretched or used beyond their normal capacity, you won’t be able to perform activities normally (as the strained tissues do not offer the best functionality).
Symptoms of Soft-Tissue Injuries
- Open injuries (lacerations) can be identified easily. These result in open wounds and blood loss that are clearly visible.
- Abrasions look like burns. Depending on the severity of this injury, it might affect the first, second, or all three layers of your skin.
- Bruises are also easy to notice. They turn red or purple and can cause swelling around the affected area.
Soft-tissue injuries often cause sudden pain with inflammation. You might experience swelling immediately or a few hours after sustaining the injury. The symptoms usually vary depending on the type of soft injury and the area it has affected. It’s hard to point out specific symptoms, as they might differ from one person to another. When your soft tissue is injured, you will hear a popping or a cracking sound that can cause excess pain and limit your range of movements. Swelling and bruising are also pretty normal.
Do You Need Surgery?
Soft-tissue injuries do not usually require surgery unless it’s an avulsion or a serious wound. If your ligaments or tendons are damaged so severely that you can’t use them, surgery might be needed. Consult a joint replacement surgeon in Thane for an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
