Oh No I tore my MCL

Oh No I Tore My MCL 

 By Melissa Kuehner  BScPT, FCAMT, IMS

The Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) is one of four major ligaments in the knee.  Your MCL is on the inside of the knee joint and attaches from the inside of the thigh bone (femur) and runs down to the inside of the shin bone (tibia).  The function of the medial collateral ligament is to resist forces that would push the knee in towards the other knee and to give the knee stability.

The collateral ligaments are commonly torn in sporting activities, such as skiing, soccer, football or in day to day life, with slipping on ice or falling.  The injury usually occurs when an outside force is applied to a slightly bent knee, often when landing, bending or on high impact.  The knee is forced in towards the other leg.
A ligament injury involves tearing of the fibers of the ligament; the number of fibers torn determines the extent of the injury.  Most ligament injuries are graded from 1 (mild) to 3 (severe).  This grade will define the extent of the injury, healing time, treatment plan and ultimately your return to activity.  The grade, determined by a medical professional is based upon the mechanism of injury, what was felt at the time of injury (pain, popping sound), amount of swelling and/or bruising, location of the pain and amount of give to joint when the ligament is tested/ stressed.  Ligament injuries can take 2 to 10 weeks to recover based on the extent of the injury.
Immediately following an injury to the knee you want to follow the principal of PRICE (Protect the joint, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation). It is best to have your knee assessed by a physiotherapist or physician to determine the extent of the injury.  Injuries that have a grade 2 or 3 are usually immobilized in a knee brace for 2 to 3 weeks. The purpose of the brace is to allow the ligament to tighten up and give stability to the knee once again. It is essential that the brace is fitted properly. 
Treatment will be focused on decreasing the swelling, restoring range of motion and strengthening the knee joint.
You will be able to return to your regular activities once you have full pain free range of motion, no pain on stress testing the ligament, proper strength of your gluts, quadriceps and hamstring muscles and good balance.  Some individuals may require long term use of a knee brace depending on the sport and extent of their ligament damage.

It is essential to restore your knee to its maximum potential.  This will be the key to returning to sport, prevention of re-injury and future instability that could lead to osteoarthritis with aging.

Melissa Kuehner is a local physiotherapist at Marda Loop Sport Physiotherapy who specializes in athletic and spinal injuries.