Is it possible to bruise your knee or ligament?!

Is it possible to bruise your knee or ligament?

I was playing with friends and slid on my knee a bit while it was bent backwards. I skinned my knee a little bit and now I have some stiffness and pain lifting the knee up and down. Also, my knee won't naturally bend when walking and the area on the right side of the knee is a little sore. Could I have torn a ligament or is it maybe just a little bruising that I can take care of with icing and elevation?

What are the symptoms of a torn ligament and how would I know the difference between that and something else like a slight sprain?

Of course it's possible to bruise the knee. Ligaments aren't normally bruised but can be strained, stretched or torn. Rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE) were supposed to be done immediately following the injury.

You have 4 ligaments at the knee - the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the front, the posterior cruciate (PCL) behind the knee, the medial cruciate (MCL) at the inside of your knee and the lateral cruciate (LCL) on the outside. Often there is no pain with a ligament tear, there will buckling when you walk, swelling and you most likely would have heard a popping sound at the time of the injury.

Rest and elevate the entire leg as much as possible, try to keep weight off this leg. You may have strained or even stretched the PCL. Use ice to reduce swelling which may be evidence of soft tissue trauma. Tylenol or ibuprofen for pain. Use a knee support that you can buy at the market. If you see no improvement in 5 days, report this to your doctor who may wish to order an X-ray or further imaging.