A torn ligament is a severe sprain that causes pain, inflammation, bruising, and ankle instability, making walking difficult and agonizing. Recovery from a damaged ligament can take many weeks and should be done under the direction of a medical professional. The patient will need to rest the injured leg and use crutches or a walker for stability while healing takes place. Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect one bone to another, usually maintaining alignment of two bones in your body. There are several ligaments around the knee that maintain the stability of the joint: the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL and LCL). Damage to any of these ligaments can cause instability of the knee joint, which can lead to further injury as other tissues try to compensate for the lack of stability. All ligaments have blood vessels and nerves running through them that can be injured during a sprain. However only the ACL and PCL require surgery to repair because the others can heal with rest and physical therapy. A patient may experience pain when moving their knee and having no ligament support could lead to further damage of the articular cartilage and need for surgery. The hip has several ligaments including the labrum and acetabular ligaments that help stabilize the joint.