LCL Tear Treatment on the Lower East Side: What are Your Options?

Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Offers Effective LCL Treatment Options

You’ve injured your knee. What do you do next?

Should you just wait to see if it improves without treatment—or should you head directly to an orthopaedic specialist?

While many LCL injuries can be effectively treated without surgical intervention, targeted care is needed for injured patients to make a proper recovery. Rothman Orthopaedic Institute is ready to provide Lower East Side patients with the care and resources they need to fully overcome your LCL injury, from diagnostic LCL injury tests to the most advanced LCL tear treatment on the Lower East Side.

The Anatomy of the LCL

Injuries of the ACL (anterior collateral ligament) are familiar—and infamous—to most patients, especially athletes. The LCL (lateral collateral ligament) is less well-known; however, sprains and tears of the LCL are still relatively common. Once again, athletes are most likely to experience injuries of this type.

What exactly is the lateral collateral ligament? Ligaments are fibrous bands of connective tissue that serve to connect the bones of the body. The LCL is a ligament located on the outside of the knee joint that serves to connect the femur to the upper end of the fibula. When functioning properly, the LCL stabilizes the knee joint and prevents outward movement of the knee bones.

Injuries to the LCL typically occur as the consequence of a blow to the interior side of the knee; this stresses the ligament and may, in some cases, cause it to rupture. This will destabilize the knee joint and may cause one or more of the following symptoms:

• Inflammation around the outside of the knee

• Pain along the knee’s outside

• Stiffness and reduced mobility in the knee joint

• Locking sensations within the knee joint

• Instability within the knee joint

Six Effective LCL tear treatments on the Lower East Side

Prompt care is essential for patients of every demographic who have experienced an injury to the lateral collateral ligament. Young, active athletes who have experienced a sports injury to the lower collateral ligament stand to have their athletic careers compromised by insufficient or ineffective treatment. Older patients, meanwhile, might experience serious complications that may affect their mobility and orthopaedic health without proper treatment.

There are a number of treatment options available for injured patients, ranging from mild therapies to LCL tear surgery. The treatment that is recommended in your particular case will depend upon several factors. These include the degree of damage accrued to your LCL and the symptoms you are experiencing, as well as your age, overall health, and level of activity.

Listed below are six of the treatment options that may be prescribed to you.

1. Activity Modifications
   For mild sprains, a reduction in high-impact activity may be sufficient to enable healing. This will especially apply to athletes.

2. R.I.C.E.
   A combination of rest, ice, compression, and elevation (R.I.C.E.) can relieve inflammation and allow the LCL to heal.

3. Physical Therapy
   A regimen of prescribed stretches and strength-building activities will help to restore the connective tissue of your injured ligament.

4. Medication
   Anti-inflammatory medications will allow you to manage swelling and pain while your LCL heals.

5. Splinting and Bracing
   A strained or torn LCL will cause the knee to become destabilized; this, in turn, may cause further damage and complications. Splints and knee braces will help to stabilize the knee joint while healing takes place.

6. LCL Tear Surgery
   In most injuries, surgery is not needed. However, if a full tearing of the LCL occurs and non-operative treatments are determined to be insufficient, surgery will be advised. LCL surgical operations involve reconstruction of the torn ligament; they are more commonly prescribed for high-impact athletes who intend to return to sports activity.

Contact Us

If you’ve experienced an LCL injury, you can expect the most advanced, effective LCL tear treatment on the Lower East Side from Rothman Orthopaedic Institute. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, please visit us here or contact us at 1-800-321-9999.