An appliance (1) for tensioning ligaments, especially articular ligaments, of a human or animal body, having at least one handle (2), the or each handle (2) being in operative engagement with, in each case, a tensioning element (3) associated therewith, and with the or each handle (2) in each case a force indicator (4), which indicates a force exerted on a or each tensioning element (3) associated with the or each handle (2) on tensioning of one or more ligaments, and a displacement indicator (5), which indicates the excursion of the tensioning element (3) in question from a reference position, and with the or each force indicator (4) and/or with the or each displacement indicator (5) there is/are associated at least one marker (7A-7H), which is arranged to be detected without contact by a measurement value ascertainment system (20) associated with the appliance (1), and also a device (20), comprising the appliance (1), for ascertaining force-displacement characteristic curves of ligaments, and also a method of ascertaining them.
