Medial knee injuries
Medial knee injuries are those to the medial side – the inside of the knee – are the most common. The medial ligament complex of the knee is composed of the superficial medial collateral ligament, deep medial collateral ligament, and the posterior oblique ligament. These ligaments have also been called the medial collateral ligament, tibial collateral ligament, mid-third capsular ligament, and oblique fibers o…
How long does it take to recover from a torn MCL?
How long does an injured MCL take to heal? Treatment includes resting, applying an ice pack to minimize swelling that develops hours after the injury, and medication. An elastic bandage or brace can be used to apply compression. The knee is elevated. Drugs that alleviate pain. Can you rehab a torn MCL?
How is an MCL tear treated?
Jun 23, 2020 · Athletes with a grade II injury can return to activity once they are not having pain directly over the MCL or symptoms of instability. Patients with a grade II injury may be able to return to activities within three or four weeks after their injury .
Should I see a doctor about my MCL sprain treatment?
Grade 1 Rehab: MCL rehab can begin immediately following the injury and should be focused on proper mobility and recovering full range of motion in about a 2-4 weeks window. Grade 2 Rehab: MCL rehab should begin after any initial swelling and intense pain has subsided after the injury.
What is the prognosis for medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries?
Rehabilitation after Injury to the Medial Collateral Ligament of the Knee Phase 1: The first six weeks after injury (grade 2 and 3) three weeks after injury (grade 1) The knee should be protected with a short-hinged brace for 3 to 6 weeks, depending upon the severity of the injury. Crutches and restricted weight bearing
When should I start rehab after MCL injury?
three weeks after injury (grade 1) weeks following injury, the pain is usually subsiding and the swelling is lessened. You can now try to stretch the knee to regain motion. Stationary cycle, swimming (flutter kick only) and the following exercise program are recommended.
How long should you stay off a torn MCL?
Recovery time for an MCL injury depends on the severity of the damage. On average, these injuries take six weeks to heal. No matter the grade of the tear, initial treatment focuses on immobilizing the knee and reducing pain and inflammation.
How do you rehab a MCL injury?
Quad setsSit with your affected leg straight and supported on the floor or a firm bed. Place a small, rolled-up towel under your knee. ... Tighten the thigh muscles of your affected leg by pressing the back of your knee down into the towel.Hold for about 6 seconds, then rest for up to 10 seconds.Repeat 8 to 12 times.
What is the fastest way to recover from an MCL injury?
Treatment for MCL tears include: Exercises to strengthen muscles. Use of a protective knee brace during exercise....Treatment for MCL InjuryRest.Application of an ice pack application to reduce swelling that occurs hours after the injury.Compression using an elastic bandage or brace.Elevating the knee.Pain relievers.Sep 26, 2016
Can you fully recover from an MCL tear?
The time it takes to fully recover from an MCL tear depends on how severe the tear is. A grade 1 (mild) MCL tear usually heals within one to three weeks. A grade 2 (moderate) MCL tear generally takes four to six weeks to heal with treatment. A grade 3 (severe) MCL tear can take six weeks or more to heal with treatment.Oct 18, 2021
Can I exercise with a torn MCL?
You may ride the stationary bicycle daily for 10 to 20 minutes. Avoid using stair-stepper machines, doing deep knee bends and squats or any exercise that causes crunching, clicking or pain at the kneecap.
Should I wear a knee brace for MCL injury?
Most patients with a grade I MCL tear will be able to return to sports within one or two weeks following their injury. For grade II injuries, you will most likely need to wear a hinged knee brace for a specified period of time.
Can I bend my knee after MCL injury?
When your MCL is damaged, your knee can over-extend itself, or bend too far in a direction that it's not supposed to bend. You may heal on your own with basic care, rest, and rehab. But if your injury is severe, you may need to have surgery.Dec 18, 2020
How do you know if you have an MCL injury?
In the midst of some form of activity, you likely twisted or turned your knee at a bad angle, and heard a loud pop. Even if there was no pop, you’r...
Can you still walk with a torn MCL?
If you have a grade 3 sprain you probably can’t walk. A grade 3 MCL sprain will leave you feeling completely unstable and very anxious when on your...
How long does it take an MCL injury to heal?
It is tough to figure out just how long recovery will take by just looking at MCL sprain symptoms. Your best bet is to measure how quickly you’re M...
What does a sprained MCL feel like?
You’re likely reading this because you are on the receiving end of a pretty crummy feeling. In the midst of some form of activity, you likely twist...
Should I wear a knee brace for MCL injury?
If you have a grade 1 — or lower grade 2 MCL sprain — over-bracing the knee could cause some of the muscles responsible for knee stability to atrop...
Does MCL tear need surgery?
If you’re confident you don’t have a grade 3 sprain, you can avoid the doctor entirely. Your injury may require rehab, but you can find a number of...
What is the best treatment for a MCL sprain?
I wish I could tell you there is a magic bullet that accelerates recovery. Unfortunately, rest is the main element to MCL sprain treatment. ICE and NSAID’s are always recommended, but they are usually most helpful after the initial injury.
How long does it take to recover from a sprain?
MCL sprain symptoms of recovery 1 Improves significantly in 7-10 days = 2-3 week recovery 2 Slight improvements in first 1-2 weeks = 3-4 week recovery 3 Slow improvements in first 3-4 weeks = 6-8 week recovery 4 Hard to see week to week improvements = 8+ week recovery
What is grade 3 MCL?
A grade 3 MCL sprain is a complete tear of the MCL. This means that surgical intervention is the only way to restore a functioning MCL. There is not a recovery time for the injury; as it will not health itself.
Is a grade 2 MCL tear a grade 3 tear?
A grade 2 MCL sprain can be the most difficult to diagnose. Really bad grade 2 MCL sprains often feel like what the injured party would imagine a grade 3 (complete tear) would feel like ; however, a non-complete tear isn’t as significant and can health without surgery; which is an important distinction between the two.
Can you stretch your MCL before it heals?
Your MCL sprain could be made much worse by trying to stretch it or increase its range of motion before it has had a chance to heal. This is a common treatment mistake.
Is grade 1 MCL sprain a grade 1 sprain?
A grade one MCL sprain can be one of the easiest ones to diagnose. If after the initial injury you feel progress day-to-day, you are probably looking at a grade 1 type of sprain. As mentioned above, there aren’t just three degrees of injury to an MCL. There is a spectrum.
What is the purpose of the MCL handout?
This handout is to help you rebuild the strength of the knee muscles after injury to the MCL of the knee. It is intended as a guideline to help you organize a structured approach to strengthen the knee.
How to straighten knees?
Standing sideways to the step, slowly step up onto the step and slowly straighten the knee using the quadriceps muscles. Slowly lower the opposite foot to touch the floor. Do not land on the floor, just touch gently and repeat the step up.
What to do after knee surgery?
Seeing the therapist on a regular basis is an important part of the healing process. Strengthening and gentle stretching exercises can help your knee regain its function, and it’s also important for preventing stiffness that can interfere with your recovery.
What is a grade 2 sprain?
In a grade 2 sprain, the ligament is stretched and often partially torn. You’ll probably have some swelling, and your knee may feel weak or unstable. Again, many grade 2 sprains heal on their own with physical therapy and other conservative treatments. Grade 3 sprains are the most severe.
How does an arthroscope work?
The arthroscope is equipped with a tiny camera. Dr. Van Thiel injects a small amount of fluid into your knee joint to gently expand it. Then he inserts the scope into the joint via a tiny incision. The fluid makes it easier for the camera to “see” inside your knee.
Where is the incision for knee surgery?
Both types of surgery use an incision along the inside of your knee. This incision allows Dr. Van Thiel to access the entire ligament. If the ligament is torn where it attaches to either the femur or the tibia, strong anchors may be used to reattach it.
Can you have surgery on your ACL?
And as with the ACL, if the injury is serious, you’re probably going to need to have surgery to repair it. A lot of patients worry that knee surgery means they’ll be sidelined for a long time — or worse, that they may never recover complete use of their knee.
In The Brace (0-7 Days)
A big misconception with MCL injuries (and most injuries for that matter) is that you need to rest them for a few days before starting rehab.
In The Brace (7-21 Days)
After 7 days you may be looking at opening the brace to allow some movement i.e. 30-60 degrees of knee flexion.
Running Prep
To prepare the knee and the body for a return to running the use of ankling drills and hop and land drills are great.
What is a grade 2 MCL sprain?
A Grade II MCL sprain is caused by a greater valgus stress force. Physical findings include marked tenderness over the MCL, mild to moderate swelling and pain and laxity on valgus stress testing. The knee should be stable at full extension, with laxity only present at 30 degrees flexion. Rehabilitation guidelines are as follows:
What is medial collateral ligament injury?
Medial collateral ligament injuries occur following a traumatic valgus force, often while the knee is slightly flexed. Edson (2006) provides a comprehensive overview of the current recommended conservative management of MCL injuries, I highly recommend all physiotherapists read this article. This blog aims to provide a succinct overview of the rehabilitation of MCL injuries, with the approach I use to return an individual to full function.
What is the focus of rehabilitation?
In summary, the focus of the rehabilitation is to ensure the correct muscle activation and joint alignment throughout any exercise. The chosen exercise isn't important, as long as the patient feels the muscle working in the correct area. Alicia.
What is grade 1 MCL?
A grade I (mild) MCL sprain has local tenderness on the medial femoral condyle or medial tibial plateau, with minimal swelling (Brukner & Khan, 2012). There will be pain but no laxity on valgus stress testing at 30 degrees knee flexion. Rehabilitation guidelines are as follows:
How long does it take to recover from a MCL tear?
However, most athletes return within 6 to 8 months time.
What is the middle phase of MCL rehab?
In the middle phase of MCL rehab, you will begin to re-expose the MCL to loads it will need to handle with everyday activities or sports you participate in. This includes progressive stability exercises focusing on joint proprioception, which is your body’s ability to understand where it is in space.
Why do you wear a knee brace?
This includes reducing swelling, modulating pain, and avoiding activities that will stress the MCL. In some instances, if there is a grade II or III injury, a brace may be worn for a period of time to help control the stability of the knee.
How long does it take for a ligament to heal?
For instance, a grade I ligament sprain may take up to 4 weeks to heal; however, a grade II can take up to 4 months! It is important to know that these are averages of tissue healing times, and there are many more prognostic indicators that play a role in establishing healing times, which vary from person to person. Moreover, these timelines are based solely on the biological properties of the tissue. Understanding the basics of differences in healing times will help you gain perspective when recovering from an injury. You can read more on this topic below in our tissue healing article!
Can a MCL tear heal?
The majority of MCL tears are isolated injuries and many times are treated non-operatively. With a proper MCL injury rehabilitation protocol, even a complete MCL tear should completely heal. That’s because the MCL, unlike other ligaments like the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), has a great blood supply.
Why are ligaments important?
In this way, ligaments provide support and strength to a joint, preventing injuries such as dislocations or instances of instability. As such, ligaments are present at almost every joint in our body. Some joints, like our hip joint, have what is called a good bony fit.
What is the MCL?
One of the more commonly injured knee ligaments is the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL). The MCL is on the inside part of the knee and runs from the medial epicondyle of the femur to the medial aspect of the proximal tibia. The MCL provides stability and support to the knee during lateral or cutting movements.