Patients often complain of pain and instability at the joint. With concurrent nerve injuries, patients may experience numbness, tingling and weakness of the ankle dorsiflexors and great toe extensors, or a footdrop.

Patients often complain of pain and swelling over the medial aspect of the knee joint. They may also report instability with side-to-side movement and during athletic performance that involves cutting or pivoting.

People often describe pain as being “inside the knee cap.” The leg tends to flex even when relaxed. In some cases, the injured ligaments involved in patellar dislocation do not allow the leg to flex almost at all.

Symptoms of gamekeeper's thumb are instability of the MCP joint of the thumb, accompanied by pain and weakness of the pinch grasp. The severity of the symptoms are related to the extent of the initial tear of the UCL (in the case of Skier's thumb), or how long the injury has been allowed to progress (in the case of gamekeeper's thumb).

Characteristic signs include pain, swelling, and ecchymosis around the thenar eminence, and especially over the MCP joint of the thumb. Physical examination demonstrates instability of the MCP joint of the thumb.

The patient will often manifest a weakened ability to grasp objects or perform such tasks as tying shoes and tearing a piece of paper. Other complaints include intense pain experienced upon catching the thumb on an object, such as when reaching into a pants pocket.

Follow-up studies by Levy et al. and Stannard at al. both examined failure rates for posterolateral corner repairs and reconstructions. Failure rates repairs were approximately 37 – 41% while reconstructions had a failure rate of 9%.

Other less common surgical complications include deep vein thrombosis (DVTs), infection, blood loss, and nerve/artery damage. The best way to avoid these complications is to preemptively treat them. DVTs are typically treated prophylactically with either aspirin or sequential compression devices (SCDs). In high risk patients there may be a need for prophylactic administration of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). In addition, having a patient get out of bed and ambulate soon after surgery is a time honored way to prevent DVTs. Infection is typically controlled by administering 1 gram of the antibiotic cefazolin (Ancef) prior to surgery. Excessive blood loss and nerve/artery damage are rare occurrences in surgery and can usually be avoided with proper technique and diligence; however, the patient should be warned of these potential complications, especially in patients with severe injuries and scarring.

Osgood–Schlatter disease causes pain in the front lower part of the knee. This is usually at the ligament-bone junction of the patellar ligament and the tibial tuberosity. The tibial tuberosity is a slight elevation of bone on the anterior and proximal portion of the tibia. The patellar tendon attaches the anterior quadriceps muscles to the tibia via the knee cap.

Intense knee pain is usually the presenting symptom that occurs during activities such as running, jumping, squatting, and especially ascending or descending stairs and during kneeling. The pain is worse with acute knee impact. The pain can be reproduced by extending the knee against resistance, stressing the quadriceps, or striking the knee. Pain is initially mild and intermittent. In the acute phase, the pain is severe and continuous in nature. Impact of the affected area can be very painful. Bilateral symptoms are observed in 20–30% of people.

A tear of a meniscus is a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee called menisci. When doctors and patients refer to "torn cartilage" in the knee, they actually may be referring to an injury to a meniscus at the top of one of the tibiae. Menisci can be torn during innocuous activities such as walking or squatting. They can also be torn by traumatic force encountered in sports or other forms of physical exertion. The traumatic action is most often a twisting movement at the knee while the leg is bent. In older adults, the meniscus can be damaged following prolonged 'wear and tear' called a degenerative tear.

Tears can lead to pain and/or swelling of the knee joint. Especially acute injuries (typically in younger, more active patients) can lead to displaced tears which can cause mechanical symptoms such as clicking, catching, or locking during motion of the knee joint. The joint will be in pain when in use, but when there is no load, the pain goes away.

A tear of the medial meniscus can occur as part of the unhappy triad, together with a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament.

A sprain is a type of acute injury which results from the stretching or tearing of a ligament. Depending on the severity of the sprain, the movement on the joint can be compromised since ligaments aid in the stability and support of joints. Sprains are commonly seen in vulnerable areas such as the wrists, knees, and ankles. They can occur from movements such as falling on an outstretched hand, or a twisting of the ankle or foot.

The severity of a sprain can also be classified:

Grade 1: Only some of the fibers in the ligament are torn, and the injured site is moderately painful and swollen. Function in the joint will be unaffected for the most part.

Grade 2: Many of the ligament fibers are torn, and pain and swelling is moderate. The functionality of the joint is compromised.

Grade 3: The soft tissue is completely torn, and functionality and strength on the joint is completely compromised. In most cases, surgery is needed to repair the damage.

Jacobson previously described the common problems to medial knee surgery. It was stressed that adequate diagnosis is imperative and all possible injuries should be evaluated and addressed intraoperatively. Damage to the saphenous nerve and its infrapatellar branch is possible during medial knee surgery, potentially causing numbness or pain over the medial knee and leg. As with all surgeries, there is a risk of bleeding, wound problems, deep vein thrombosis, and infection that can complicate the outcome and rehabilitation process. The long term complication of arthrofibrosis and heterotopic ossification (Pellegrini-Stieda syndrome) are problems that are best addressed with early range of motion and following defined rehabilitation protocols. Failure of graft due to intrinsic mechanical forces should be prevented with preoperative alignment assessment (osteotomy treatment) and proper rehabilitation.

Osgood–Schlatter disease (OSD), also known as apophysitis of the tibial tubercle, is inflammation of the patellar ligament at the tibial tuberosity. It is characterized by a painful bump just below the knee that is worse with activity and better with rest. Episodes of pain typically last a few months. One or both knees may be affected and flares may recur.

Risk factors include overuse, especially sports which involve running or jumping. The underlying mechanism is repeated tension on the growth plate of the upper tibia. Diagnosis is typically based on the symptoms. A plain X-ray may be either normal or show fragmentation in the attachment area.

Pain typically resolves with time. Applying cold to the affected area, stretching, and strengthening exercises may help. NSAIDs such as ibuprofen may be used. Slightly less stressful activity may be recommended.

About 4% of people are affected at some point in time. Males between the ages of 10 and 15 are most often affected. After growth slows, typically age 16 in boys and 14 in girls, the pain will no longer occur despite a bump potentially remaining. The condition is named after Robert Bayley Osgood (1873–1956), an American orthopedic surgeon and Carl B. Schlatter, (1864–1934), a Swiss surgeon who described the condition independently in 1903.

Ulnar collateral ligament injuries can occur during certain activities such as overhead baseball pitching. Acute or chronic disruption and/or attenuation of the ulnar collateral ligament often result in medial elbow pain, valgus instability, neurologic deficiency, and impaired throwing performance. There are both non-surgical and surgical treatment options.

A strain is a type of acute injury that occurs to the muscle or tendon. Similar to sprains, it can vary in severity, from a stretching of the muscle or tendon to a complete tear of the tendon from the muscle. Some of the most common places that strains occur are in the foot, back of the leg (hamstring), or back.

An individual may feel or hear a "pop" in their knee during a twisting movement or rapid deceleration, followed by an inability to continue participation in the sport and early swelling from hemarthrosis. This combination is said to indicate a 90% probability of rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament.

An individual may experience instability in the knee once they resume walking and other activities, and they may feel their knee is "giving out". Loss of full range of motion, and discomfort along the joint line are also common symptoms of an ACL injury.

Pain along the inside of the elbow is the main symptom of this condition. Throwing athletes report it occurs most often during the acceleration phase of throwing. Closing the hand and clenching the fist has also been shown to reproduce the painful symptoms. The injury is often associated with an experience of a sharp “pop” in the elbow, followed by pain during a single throw. In addition, swelling and bruising of the elbow, loss of elbow range of motion, and a sudden decrease in throwing velocity are all common symptoms of a UCL injury. If the injury is less severe, pain can be minimal with complete rest.

An unhappy triad (or terrible triad, "horrible triangle", O'Donoghue's triad or a "blown knee") is an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament, and medial meniscus. Analysis during the 1990s indicated that this 'classic' O'Donoghue triad is actually an unusual clinical entity among athletes with knee injuries. Some authors mistakenly believe that in this type of injury, acute tears of the medial meniscus always present with a concomitant lateral meniscus injury. However, the 1990 analysis showed that lateral meniscus tears are more common than medial meniscus tears in conjunction with sprains of the ACL.

A predisposing factor is tightness in the tensor fasciae latae muscle and iliotibial tract in combination with a quadriceps imbalance between the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles can play a large role. However individuals with larger Q angles are genetically more predisposed to this type of injury due to the increased lateral angle at which the femur and tibia meet.

Another cause of patellar symptoms is "lateral patellar compression syndrome", which can be caused from lack of balance or inflammation in the joints. The pathophysiology of the kneecap is complex, and deals with the osseous soft tissue or abnormalities within the patellofemoral groove. The patellar symptoms cause knee extensor dysplasia, and sensitive small variations affect the muscular mechanism that controls the joint movements.

24% of people whose patellas have dislocated have relatives who have experienced patellar dislocations.

Knowing the symptoms that can be experienced with a sprain is important in determining that the injury is not really a break in the bone. When a sprain occurs, blood vessels will leak fluid into the tissue that surrounds the joint. White blood cells responsible for inflammation migrate to the area, and blood flow increases as well. Along with this inflammation, swelling from the fluid and pain is experienced. The nerves in the area become more sensitive when the injury is suffered, so pain is felt as throbbing and will worsen if there is pressure placed on the area. Warmth and redness are also seen as blood flow is increased. Also there is a decreased ability to move the joint.

Symptoms include:

- The child stops using the arm, which is held in extension (or slightly bent) and palm down.

- Minimal swelling.

- All movements are permitted except supination.

- Caused by longitudinal traction with the wrist in pronation, although in a series only 51% of people were reported to have this mechanism, with 22% reporting falls, and patients less than 6 months of age noted to have the injury after rolling over in bed.

Symptoms of an ankle fracture can be similar to those of ankle sprains (pain), though typically they are often more severe by comparison. It is exceedingly rare for the ankle joint to dislocate in the presence of ligamentous injury alone. However, in the setting of an ankle fracture the talus can become unstable and subluxate or dislocate. Patients may complain of ecchymosis (bruising), or there may be an abnormal position, abnormal motion, or lack of motion.

A sprained ankle, also known as a twisted ankle or rolled ankle, is a common injury where sprain occur on one or more ligaments of the ankle.

Gamekeeper's thumb (also known as skier's thumb or UCL tear) is a type of injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the thumb. The UCL may be torn, damaged or in some cases avulsed from its insertion site into the proximal phalanx of the thumb in the vast majority (approximately 90%) of cases. This condition is commonly observed among gamekeepers and Scottish fowl hunters, as well as athletes (such as volleyballers). It also occurs among people who sustain a fall onto an outstretched hand, frequently skiers.

Anterior cruciate ligament injury is when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. Injuries are most commonly complete tears. Symptoms include pain, a popping sound during injury, instability of the knee, and joint swelling. Swelling generally appears within a couple of hours. In approximately 50% of cases other structures of the knee such as ligaments, cartilage, or meniscus are damaged.

The underlying mechanism often involves a rapid change in direction, sudden stop, landing following jumping, or direct contact. It is more common in athletes, particularly those who participate in alpine skiing, soccer, football, or basketball. Diagnosis is typically by physical examination and maybe support by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Prevention is by neuromuscular training and core strengthening. Treatment recommends depend on desired level of activity. If there will be low levels of future activity, bracing and physiotherapy may be sufficient. In those with high activity levels, arthroscopic repair via anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is often recommended. Surgery, if recommended, is generally not carried out until the initial inflammation from the injury has resolved.

As of 2009, about 200,000 people are affected per year in the United States. In some sports, females have a higher risk while in others, both sexes are equally affected. Without surgery, in those with a complete tear, many are unable to play sports and develop osteoarthritis.

The most common initial symptom of wrist osteoarthritis is joint pain. The pain is brought on by activity and increases when there is activity after resting. Other signs and symptoms, as with any joint affected by osteoarthritis, include:

- Morning stiffness, which usually lasts less than 30 minutes. This is also present in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but in those patients this typically lasts for more than 45 minutes.

- Swelling of the wrist.

- Crepitus (crackling), which is felt when the hand is moved passively.

- Joint locking, where the joint is fixed in an extended position.

- Joint instability.

These symptoms can lead to loss of function and less daily activity.

Tibial plateau fractures typically presents with knee effusion, swelling of the knee soft tissues and inability to bear weight. The knee may be deformed due to displacement and/or fragmentation of the tibia which leads to loss of its normal structural appearance. Blood in the soft tissues and knee joint (hemarthrosis) may lead to bruising and a doughy feel of the knee joint. Due to the tibial plateau's proximity to important vascular (i.e. arteries, veins) and neurological (i.e. nerves such as peroneal and tibial) structures, injuries to these may occur upon fracture. A careful examination of the neurovascular systems is imperative. A serious complication of tibial plateau fractures is compartment syndrome in which swelling causes compression of the nerves and blood vessels inside the leg and may ultimately lead to necrosis or cell death of the leg tissues.

Golfer's elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is tendinosis of the medial epicondyle on the inside of the elbow. It is in some ways similar to tennis elbow, which affects the outside at the lateral epicondyle.

The anterior forearm contains several muscles that are involved with flexing the digits of the hand, and flexing and pronating the wrist. The tendons of these muscles come together in a common tendinous sheath, which originates from the medial epicondyle of the humerus at the elbow joint. In response to minor injury, or sometimes for no obvious reason at all, this point of insertion becomes inflamed.