Redmond Physical Therapy MCL

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Symptoms & Pathologies

Where is the MCL? MCL

The MCL is a strong flat band of fibrous tissue which extends from themedial epicondyle of the femur (thigh bone) to the medial condyle and superior part of the medial surface of the tibia (shin bone). The MCL is an actualy thickening of the fibrous capsule of the knee joint with contribution from both the adductor magnus and the Medial Meniscus to help with MCL stability.

What does the MCL do?

The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is one of four ligaments that are critical to the stability of the knee joint. A ligament is made of tough fibrous material and functions to control excessive motion by limiting joint mobility (prevent rotation of the tibia laterally or the femur medially. The four major stablizing ligaments of the knee are the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL and PCL, respectively), and the medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL and LCL, respectively).

Causes of MCL Injury?

The MCL is typically injured when the outside of the knee is struck. This creates what is called a valgas force putting the ligament into significant stress. This type of stress in the knee can stretch the MCL beyond its normal elastic range for it's fibers and subsequently tears. Once the ligament tears, it heals very slowly. In comparrison to muscles ligaments and tendons have less vascular accessibility (less blood flow) thus producing slower healing time. The MCL can occur as an isolated incident or could be part of a more complex injury in which the "unhappy triad" becomes involved as well. This would be an injury in which the MCL, ACL, and Medial Meniscus are all torn to varying degrees.

What are the symptoms of an MCL tear?

The most common symptom following a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury is pain directly over the ligament. Knee pain, swelling, and decreased motion are common with this injury. Swelling directly over the torn ligament may appear, and bruising and generalized joint effusion (swelling inside the joint) are common 24 to 48 days after the injury. Symptoms of a medial collateral ligament injury tend to correlate with the extent of the injury. MCL injuries are graded on a scale of I to III. A grade I injury is a small tear within the ligament, and a grade III-IV injury is a complete tear of the MCL. If only the MCL is truly injured, walking is usually not a problem, and athletes are often able to return to competition after being cleared by their doctor. If the complaint of instability is a problem after a MCL injury, it is a strong indicator that a trip to your orthopedic surgeon will be necessary to further evaluate whether structures other than the MCL were involved.

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