Strong bands of tissue that connect bones together and hold your joints in place so they don't fall apart when you move.
From Latin 'ligamentum' meaning 'something that binds,' derived from 'ligare' meaning 'to bind' or 'tie.' The word evolved to describe the physical structures in the body that literally bind bones together.
Ligaments are why your knees don't bend backwards—they're like biological rope that evolution designed to keep your skeleton properly connected, but too many sports injuries happen when people push them past their limits.
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