Acute (fractures, dislocations, strains, sprains).

The idea

Acute injuries occur suddenly when a single force overloads tissue, so signs appear immediately: pain, swelling, loss of function and deformity. A fracture is a break or crack in a bone, caused by direct impact or indirect force; a dislocation is displacement of a bone from its normal joint position, damaging capsule and ligaments. A strain is overstretching or tearing of muscle or tendon, while a sprain is overstretching or tearing of ligaments at a joint, most often the ankle. Classify by the tissue damaged and the mechanism: bone, joint, muscle-tendon or ligament.

For example: A tackle causing immediate ankle swelling with ligament pain is a sprain, whereas a fall onto an outstretched arm with an audible snap suggests a fracture.

What earns the marks

• Acute injuries arise from a sudden, single traumatic episode rather than repeated cumulative loading.
• A fracture is a break or crack in a bone, caused by direct impact or indirect force.
• A dislocation is displacement of a bone from its normal position at a joint, damaging joint structures.
• A strain is overstretching or tearing of muscle or tendon, typically from explosive or overstretched contraction.
• A sprain is overstretching or tearing of ligaments at a joint, commonly the ankle.
• Classification depends on the tissue damaged and the mechanism of injury, not on the sport alone.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing a strain with a sprain.

  Put it right: A strain damages muscle or tendon, whereas a sprain damages ligaments at a joint.

• Assuming every acute injury involves a fracture.

  Put it right: Most acute injuries are soft-tissue strains and sprains, and fracture requires bone damage.

• Believing a dislocation is simply a sprain.

  Put it right: A dislocation displaces the bone from the joint, while a sprain overstretches or tears ligaments without displacement.

• Thinking acute injuries develop gradually over weeks.

  Put it right: Acute injuries have sudden onset from a single episode, unlike chronic overuse injuries.

Exam tips

• Link each injury to the specific tissue damaged (bone, joint, muscle-tendon, ligament) to justify your classification.
• Use the mechanism of injury, such as direct impact or twisting, to distinguish fracture, dislocation, strain and sprain.
• Check the onset described in the question: immediate sudden onset signals an acute injury rather than a chronic one.