A medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury is a stretching or tearing of the ligament on the inside of the knee that runs from the bottom medial part of the femur to the top medial part of the tibia – the bigger of the two lower leg bones- and prevents the opening/widening of the inside of the joint line.
Symptoms
- Pain on the inside of the knee
- Instability or the feeling of “giving out”
- Difficulty bending the knee
- Swelling on the inside of the knee
- Possible bruising on the inside of the knee
- Hear or feel a “pop” on the inside of the knee (complete tear)
Causes
- Direct injury to the inside of the knee
- Direct blow to the outside of the knee causing extreme angulation of the lower leg in relation to the thigh
- Planting and cutting causing extreme angulation of the lower leg in relation to the thigh, causing the inside of the joint line to widen.
Risk factors
- Collision sports such as football or highly agile sports such as soccer
- Knock-kneed
- Duck footed
Prevention
- Avoid high impact or collision sports
- Correct bad form in walking and running that would cause knees or toes to point out
Diagnosis
- A physician will examine and test the integrity of the ligaments of the knee along with taking a thorough medical history
- X-rays to rule out fracture
- MRI to confirm suspicion of MCL injury and determine the degree of the sprain/tear.
Treatment
- Non-surgical treatment
- Rest
- Ice
- Rehabilitation
- Bracing
- MCL ligament repair/ reconstruction
