Nicole Dunlap and Sam Snyder MCL and LCL Injuries Nicole Dunlap and Sam Snyder

Anatomy MCL: Medial Collateral Ligament-located on medial side of knee, connects femur and tibia, also called Tibial Collateral Ligament or TCL LCL: Lateral Collateral Ligament-located on lateral side of knee, connects femur and fibula, also called Fibular Collateral Ligament or FCL Function: prevents the leg from overextending inward, controls sideways motion, and stabilizes the knee and allows it to rotate

Mechanism MCL: Injuries commonly occur when struck by a strong force hitting the outside of the knee that causes the MCL, which is on the inside of the knee, to stretch and tear. LCL: Like the MCL, the LCL can become torn or stretched when a strong force hits the knee but from the inside, causing the LCL on the outside to become damaged. Also, while running at full speed and quickly changing direction can cause the MCL or LCL to become damaged as well. Sprains and strains are common for both ligaments when they are stretched.

Most Commonly Injured in.. Most commonly injured in contact sports by a direct impact to the medial (MCL) or lateral (LCL) sides of the knee Ex: a rugby or football tackle MCL injuries are more common than LCL injuries because trauma is more likely to occur to the outside of the knee than the inside

Signs & Symptoms Pain at either side of your knee; for MCL pain is on the inside, for LCL pain is on the outside Swelling where the direct pain is Instability: feeling like you can’t walk on it

First-Aid PRICE: Protection, Rest, Immobilize, Cold, Elevate End activity If you precede to go to the doctors, they will thoroughly examine the injured knee and compare to the non-injured knee and most likely will be able to diagnose, if not, x-rays or MRIs can help with the diagnosis. The examination will consist of applying a force to the inner surface of the knee and comparing its laxity to the other

Recovery/Rehab Non-Surgical: Ice: For 20 minutes with at least one hour between the next time you apply ice for 20 more minutes To help stabilize the knee, wear a brace or possibly use crutches if unable to apply weight. Physical therapy When range of motion returns, your doctor may allow you to go back to your sport or daily activities Surgical: Surgery is very unlikely for MCLs unless the ligament is torn to the point where it cannot heal on its own, LCL tears more commonly require surgery because they take longer to heal Surgery is typically done as an open procedure in conjunction with arthroscopy, the ligament is then replaced with a tissue graft, the graft passes through bone tunnels and then connects the femur and fibula with screws.

Videos MCL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dQS0A9QQpc Injured MCL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fxKCDkOiJs LCL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFPsnWhjh6E

Work Cited https://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/mcl_tear/ http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00550 http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/knee-pain/lcl-sprain http://drrobertlaprademd.com/isolated-fibular-collateral-ligament-fcl-reconstruction/