Medial collateral ligament injury
What is it?
The medial collateral ligament (MCL) runs from the inside of your lower thigh bone to the inside of your upper shin bone. It provides your knee with stability and limits the amount it can move from side to side. A medial collateral ligament injury is a partial or complete tear, or overstretch of the ligament.
Symptoms
The symptoms for medial collateral ligament injury include:
- pain on the inside of your knee
- mild to moderate swelling on the inside of your knee
- instability – you may feel like your knee is giving way or that it's locking
- pain when fully bending or straightening your knee
- pain in your knee when walking
You may find that you can't stand properly on the affected leg, or put your full weight on it if the injury is severe.
Causes
You may injure your medial collateral ligament by:
- moving your lower leg outwards at the knee
- being hit on the outside of the lower thigh
- placing your foot on the ground and then pushing forward (this can happen when skiing)
Treatment
You should seek treatment from a sports medicine professional, such as a sports medicine doctor or a physiotherapist. The treatment for medial collateral ligament injury will depend on what damage you have done and how bad the damage is.
Medicines
You can buy painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat mild and moderate pain. Your GP may prescribe stronger painkillers if your pain is severe. As well as easing your pain, painkillers may help to reduce inflammation and swelling. Always read the patient information that comes with your medicine, and if you have questions ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice.
Physiotherapy
If your injury is moderate or severe, you will usually need physiotherapy. Your physiotherapist will develop a programme of rehabilitation exercises gradually to strengthen your knee and stretch your muscles. Braces to support your knee are occasionally used during rehabilitation, usually if the injury has been severe.
Surgery
In some situations, you may need to have surgery to repair the injury to your medial collateral ligament. This is likely to be the case if:
- you do a lot of sport
- more than one ligament or tissue in your knee has been damaged
- your knee remains unstable after physiotherapy
Do
- Follow PRICE.
Don't
- There are certain things that you shouldn't do in the first three days after your injury to prevent further damage to your knee - these can be remembered as HARM.
Peer reviewed by Alex Floyd, MCSP, Bupa Sports Medicine physiotherapist
Publication date: June 2009
