A 22-year-old basketball player arrives in the emergency department after experiencing a painful, swollen knee following a sudden change in direction during a game. Which assessment finding most strongly suggests a ligament injury rather than a muscle strain?
The presence of joint instability on physical examination is indicative of a ligament injury. Ligaments provide joint stability, and their injury can lead to a sensation of 'giving way' under stress. While tenderness and swelling are common in many types of injuries, joint instability is more specific to ligament damage rather than muscle strains, which typically present with localized pain and limited movement but not joint instability.
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BCEN CEN
Musculoskeletal and Wound Emergencies
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