How would you define a sprain vs a strain?

• A. Sprain is a ligament injury around a joint; Strain is a muscle or tendon injury.
• B. Sprain is a muscle injury; Strain is a bone injury.
• C. Sprain is a nerve injury; Strain is a joint injury.
• D. Sprain is a skin injury; Strain is a tendon injury.

Answer: (A)

Injury definitions hinge on tissue involved and location. A sprain is an injury to a ligament, the tough bands that connect bones at a joint. When a joint is forced beyond its normal range, ligaments can stretch or tear, causing pain, swelling, and sometimes joint instability. A strain involves muscle tissue or the tendon that attaches muscle to bone. Overstretching or tearing of muscle fibers, or a tendinous connection, produces a strain and often presents as a muscle ache, weakness, or cramping.

This distinction is why sprains are described as ligament injuries around a joint, while strains are muscle or tendon injuries. The other descriptions mix up the tissue types (nerve, bone, skin) or confound muscle with tendon, which doesn’t capture the ligament involvement seen in sprains or the muscle-tendon involvement in strains.