ligamento

Ligamento is a band of dense regular connective tissue that connects bones to other bones and helps stabilize joints while guiding motion. In most animals, ligamento is rich in collagen, especially type I, with relatively few blood vessels, which contributes to slower healing after injury.

The core of ligamento consists of densely packed collagen fibers aligned with the directions of mechanical stress. Fibroblasts produce the matrix, and the tissue contains proteoglycans and smaller amounts of elastic fibers that contribute to its elasticity. Ligamento vary in thickness and length according to their location and function, but they are generally organized to resist tensile forces.

Functionally, ligamento stabilize joints, limit excessive or abnormal movement, and maintain articulation alignment during activity. Many ligamento also contain mechanoreceptors that provide proprioceptive feedback to help sense joint position and tension, supporting coordinated movement.

Ligamento can be intracapsular (inside a joint capsule) or extracapsular (outside the capsule). Notable examples include the knee’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), the medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL and LCL), ankle ligaments such as the anterior talofibular ligament, and the patellar ligament connecting the patella to the tibia.

Injury to ligamento, commonly called a sprain or tear, results from overstretching or trauma and tends to heal slowly due to limited vascularity. Treatment ranges from rest and physical therapy to surgical reconstruction in severe cases. Imaging, especially magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is frequently used to assess ligament integrity and guide management.