ligament

Everyday

1. A ligament is a strong, slightly stretchy band in your body that joins one bone to another at a joint, like the knee or ankle. tree →
2. Ligaments hold joints together and stop them bending the wrong way. tree →

In the lessons

In science and PE lessons, pupils learn the parts of the skeleton and joints: bones, muscles, tendons (join muscle to bone), ligaments (join bone to bone) and cartilage. Sports injuries such as a sprained ankle or a torn knee ligament are common; warming up helps. Phrases: «torn ligament», «knee ligament», «damaged ligaments», «sprain a ligament».

Examples

• Ligaments join bone to bone. tree →
• The footballer tore a ligament in his knee. tree →
• A sprained ankle means a ligament has been stretched too far. tree →
• Warming up helps protect your muscles and ligaments. tree →
• The doctor said the ligament would heal in six weeks. tree →
• Tendons attach muscles to bones, but ligaments attach bones to bones. tree →

Note

Easy trap: tendon (muscle to bone) vs ligament (bone to bone). Say it "LIG-a-ment". Plural «ligaments».