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MCL Repair / Reconstruction

 

 

The most common knee ligament injury is an injury to the medial (inside) aspect of the knee. There are three main anatomic structures on the medial side of the knee, with the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) being the largest and strongest. A large number of isolated MCL medial knee injuries are due to sporting events. They can be either a contact or non-contact stress to the outside of their knee, which in turn stretches or tears the medial knee structures on the inside of the knee.

Medial Collateral Ligment

The grade of the medial knee injury is based upon the amount of tearing present and treatment options depend on the location of the tear and if other ligaments are concurrently injured.

  • Grade I: partial MCL tear

  • Grade II: near complete MCL tear

  • Grade III: a complete MCL tear – the ligament is non-functional

 

The majority of MCL injuries can be treated without surgery and with a structured rehabilitation programme. There are however cases when surgery may be recommended.

The use of a MCL protective knee brace is often recommended whether the injury is treated with or without surgery . Thus, we recommend the patient be fitted by a brace specialist who understands the patient’s goals and will properly fit the MCL brace which is durable enough for their desired activity levels.
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