A fully torn ligament, or grade 3 tear, can cause chronic pain and joint instability. Complete tears rarely heal naturally. Since there's a disconnect between the tissue and any chance of blood supply, surgery is needed. Surgery also helps the joint heal correctly and reduces the chances of re-injury.

Do torn ligaments heal on their own?

Do ligaments heal on their own? Ligaments naturally heal on their own, but you can do a lot of things on accident to slow down or completely undo your body's natural healing processes. If you do not properly treat a ligament injury, it will take longer to heal and be more likely to happen again.

What happens if you don't fix torn ligaments?

If left untreated, eventually it can result in other foot and leg problems, such as inflammation and pain in the ligaments in the soles of your foot (plantar faciitis), tendinitis in other parts of your foot, shin splints, pain in your ankles, knees and hips and, in severe cases, arthritis in your foot.