What injury is commonly associated with a partial tear of a ligament at a joint?

A sprain refers to an injury that involves the stretching or partial tearing of a ligament, which is a band of fibrous tissue that connects bones at a joint. When a ligament is partially torn, it can lead to swelling, bruising, pain, and restricted mobility around the affected joint, but typically does not result in complete loss of structural integrity.

In contrast, a strain is related to muscles or tendons rather than ligaments, involving an overstretching or tearing of these soft tissues. Dislocations involve the complete displacement of a joint, which is a more severe injury than a sprain, while subluxations indicate a partial dislocation where the joint surfaces have lost their normal alignment but are not completely separated. These conditions are different from sprains, as they affect the bone and joint structure rather than primarily involving ligaments.