MCL Knee Ligament Injury Health Video

Video Transcript

CAROLYN COOPER, MD: I'm Dr. Carolyn Cooper and I'm going to be talking about MCL injury. The MCL or the medial collateral ligament is a thick fibrous tissue that spans the distance between the bottom of the thigh bone and the top of the tibia on the inside of the knee joint. When the MCL is stretched too far, it can tear or even rupture in severe cases. Injury to the medial collateral ligament can occur when a force is applied to the outside of the knee joint such as a tackle in soccer, catching the inside edge of a ski, or even a very large boisterous dog falling against the side of your knee. The symptoms of medial collateral ligament injury vary depending on the severity of the injury and are usually local pain and swelling on the inside of the knee. There may be difficulty walking or pivoting or twisting and there may even be pain at night. Treatment of MCL injuries initially consists of relieving pain and reducing inflammation, therefore, rest, ice, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications such as Advil or Motrin. Some people may need to wear a brace to give stability to the knee and with complete ruptures, which are very rare; crutches may be needed for the first few days. Once pain and swelling are improved, physical therapy can be instituted as the part of the rehabilitation. Surgery is rarely required.